Imaging of the knee: Common acute presentations to general practice

Knee pain is a common symptom in the community. There is a wide range of conditions that can cause pain. Identifying the type and severity of the condition is important for effective management. There are several guidelines for the appropriate imaging of patients presenting with knee pain. Presentation is generally divided into a post-traumatic group and those without known trauma (including arthritis).

The aim of this article is to discuss the approach to imaging of the knee with reference to Diagnostic Imaging Pathways and illustrate some of the conditions that may be encountered.

The initial workup is typically done in general practice to determine which patients require referral for specialist management and which patients can be cared for in the community. Most cases presented in this article are patients referred from primary care to a metropolitan radiology practice during a six-month period, and they represent examples of some of the more common pathologies.