Accuracy of MRI in Comparison With Arthroscopic Findings in the Diagnosis of Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Meniscus Tears

Abstract

Background and Objective: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is of great aid in the diagnosis of knee lesions. Nevertheless, arthroscopy has remained the reference standard for the diagnosis of internal derangements of the knee, to which alternative diagnostic modalities have been compared. This study was designed to assess the value of MRI and clinical examination in the diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus tears in comparison with the arthroscopic findings. Methods: In the present investigation, 55 patients with knee trauma underwent knee MRI, followed by knee arthroscopy. The results of knee arthroscopy were considered as the standard reference and the MRI findings were compared with the arthroscopy results. Results: According to the results, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were 95%, 80%, 92.6%, and 85.7% for the diagnosis of the ACL tear; 87.8%, 90.9%, 93.5%, and 83.3% for the diagnosis of medial meniscus tear; and 85.7%, 94.1%, 90%, and 91.4% for the diagnosis of lateral meniscus tear, respectively. Conclusion: The evidence from this study suggests that MRI has a high accuracy in the diagnosis of ACL, medial meniscus, and lateral meniscus injuries in patients with knee trauma.

Keywords

• mri
• anterior cruciate ligament
• medial meniscus
• lateral meniscus