Knee MR images: what the orthopaedic surgeon needs to know

Ideally, the orthopaedic surgeon works together with the radiologist in order to understand and contextualize the data obtained from a knee magnetic resonance imaging study. In this article we review the information most useful to the practice of orthopaedic surgery obtained from these MRI scans, including sections on ligaments, menisci, articular cartilage, limb alignment, bone, and surrounding soft tissues. We place special emphasis on evaluating the postoperative knee, ligament grafts, cartilage integrity, and other conditions that present challenges to both orthopaedic surgeons and radiologists.