Postoperative MR evaluation of chondral repair in the knee

Articular cartilage abnormalities of the knee are a cause of significant patient morbidity. Several surgical techniques have been developed to treat these lesions to improve patient symptoms and to delay or prevent the development of osteoarthritis. MRI has been shown to be an accurate non-invasive test for the evaluation of articular cartilage injuries and for evaluating the postoperative knee following chondral repair. As these surgical repair techniques become more commonly performed, is important for radiologists to be familiar with the surgical techniques and the MRI appearance of the postoperative knee including both normal and abnormal findings. In this article, these chondral repair techniques will be reviewed as well those normal and abnormal MRI findings following these surgeries.