Can MRI Distinguish between a Partial Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear and a Normal ACL?

Authors

  • Yoshinori Mikashima Department of Orthopedics and Oume Knee Surgery Center, Takagi Hospital, Tokyo, Japan and Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
  • Taisuke Tomatsu Department of Orthopedics and Oume Knee Surgery Center, Takagi Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
  • Motoko Miyawaki Department of Orthopedics and Oume Knee Surgery Center, Takagi Hospital, Tokyo, Japan and Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
  • Takeshi Koshiishi Department of Radiology, Takagi Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
  • Tadashi Takagi Department of Radiology, Takagi Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
  • Katsunori Ikari Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
  • Shigeki Momohara Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12974/2313-0954.2016.03.02.2

Keywords:

A partial anterior cruciate ligament tear, MRI, arthroscopy.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can distinguish between a partial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and a normal ACL.

Materials and Methods: MR images of 20 patients with an arthroscopically confirmed partial ACL tear were retrospectively interpreted by the author, comparing with normal ACLs.

Results and Discussion: All knees with a partial ACL tear had a continuous band of low signal, of which 15 had no increased signal intensity on proton density-weighted images. MRI could not distinguish between a partial ACL tear and a normal ACL. Orthopedic surgeons had better consider an ACL tear when a patient has traumatic hemarthrosis or anxiety provoked by the sensation of the knee ‘going out’ or ‘giving way’ during the pivot shift test, even if the ACL has a continuous band of low signal on the oblique sagittal view on MRI. 

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Published

2016-09-04

How to Cite

Mikashima, Y., Tomatsu, T., Miyawaki, M., Koshiishi, T., Takagi, T., Ikari, K., & Momohara, S. (2016). Can MRI Distinguish between a Partial Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear and a Normal ACL?. International Journal of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, 3(2), 51–57. https://doi.org/10.12974/2313-0954.2016.03.02.2

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2016)

Section

Articles