Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 11, 2026
Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness
Published on: March 18, 2022
Three-dimensional reconstructed magnetic resonance scans: Accuracy in identifying and defining knee meniscal tears
Neil Kruger1, Eugene McNally1, Sami Al-Ali1
1Neil Kruger, Orthopaedic Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa.
Aim:
To determine whether three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction from conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is able to accurately detect a meniscal tear, and define the configuration.
Methods:
Thirty-three patients' 3T MRI scan data were collected and sagittal uni-planar 3D reconstructions performed from the preoperative MRI. There were 24 meniscal tears in 24 patients, and nine controls. All patients had arthroscopic corroboration of MRI findings. Two independent observers prospectively reported on all 33 reconstructions. Meniscal tear presence or absence was noted, and tear configuration subsequently categorised as either radial, bucket-handle, parrot beak, horizontal or complex.
Results:
Identification of control menisci or meniscal tear presence was excellent (Accuracy: observer 1 = 90.9%; observer 2 = 81.8%). Of the tear configurations, bucket handle tears were accurately identified (Accuracy observer 1 and 2 = 80%). The remaining tear configurations were not accurately discernable.
Conclusion:
Uni-planar 3D reconstruction from 3T MRI knee scan sequences are useful in identifying normal menisci and menisci with bucket-handle tears. Advances in MRI sequencing and reconstruction software are awaited for accurate identification of the remaining meniscal tear configurations.
