Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026
Author Spotlight: Double Posteromedial Approach for Treating Posterior Cruciate Ligament Cysts
Published on: October 20, 2023
Evaluation of MRI versus arthroscopy in anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries
Amreen Abdul Bari1, Shivali Vaibhav Kashikar2, Bhushan Narayan Lakhkar2
1Resident, Department of Radiodiagnosis, JNMC, DMIMS , Sawangi (Meghe) Wardha, Maharashtra, India .
Aims And Objectives:
To find out the incidence of ACL & meniscal injuries, to co-relate MRI findings with arthroscopy by calculating Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive And Negative Predictive Values (PPV & NPV) keeping arthroscopy as a gold standard, to find out the degree of subluxation and to grade it and to find a threshold value of fluid in knee.
Settings And Design:
Prospective analytical study.
Materials And Methods:
MRI of 230 patients with 71 arthroscopic co- relation in year 2012-14 was analysed.
Statistical Analysis:
Descriptive statistics using Chi square test and predictive values was done. The spearman correlation coefficient was done by using statistical software SPSS 17.0.
Results:
The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV was calculated (in %). For ACL it was 87.87, 81.57, 80.55, 88.57 for MM 93.54, 87.50, 85.29, 94.59 and for LM 77.77, 81.81, 72.41, 85.71 respectively. We found 35.6% incidence of anterior tibial subluxation with maximum patients having grade 1 category subluxation. Two hundred and one cases showed joint fluid in lateral aspect of the suprapatellar pouch (AP diameter >10mm) with internal derangement.
Conclusion:
MRI is helpful in diagnosing meniscal and cruciate ligament injuries. Arthroscopy still remains gold standard for definitive diagnosis.
Insights
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) accurately detects anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscal tears, correlating well with arthroscopy. This study also identified significant anterior tibial subluxation and joint fluid in knee injuries.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Radiology
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Knee injuries, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscal tears, are common.
- Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and patient outcomes.
- Arthroscopy is considered the gold standard for diagnosing intra-articular knee pathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of ACL and meniscal injuries.
- To correlate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings with arthroscopic results, assessing diagnostic accuracy using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).
- To evaluate the degree of tibial subluxation and identify a threshold for joint fluid detection in knee MRI.
Main Methods:
- A prospective analytical study involving 230 patients.
- MRI scans were analyzed and correlated with arthroscopic findings in 71 patients between 2012 and 2014.
- Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, predictive values, and Spearman correlation coefficient using SPSS 17.0.
Main Results:
- MRI demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for ACL (87.87%, 81.57%) and medial meniscus (MM) (93.54%, 87.50%) tears, and good accuracy for lateral meniscus (LM) tears (77.77%, 81.81%).
- Anterior tibial subluxation was present in 35.6% of patients, predominantly grade 1.
- Joint fluid in the lateral suprapatellar pouch (anteroposterior diameter >10mm) was observed in 201 cases, indicating internal derangement.
Conclusions:
- MRI is a valuable non-invasive tool for diagnosing ACL and meniscal injuries.
- While MRI shows high diagnostic accuracy, arthroscopy remains the definitive gold standard for confirming knee pathologies.
More Related Videos
06:28Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection and Synovial Fluid Lavage in a Rodent Model to Study Joint Inflammation and Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis
Published on: September 2, 2025
06:27Author Spotlight: Investigating Early Events and Long-Term Effects of ACL Injuries for Osteoarthritis Progression
Published on: September 29, 2023