Simultaneous Bilateral Knee Varus Stress Radiographic Technique^[*]

Abstract

Varus stress radiographs are reported as an effective and cost-beneficial diagnostic and decision-making tool for lateral knee injuries, both in the acute and chronic settings. The opening of the lateral compartment is reported to vary according to the number of structures injured, helping to differentiate isolated fibular collateral ligament injury from grade-III posterolateral corner injury. The conventional technique requires the physician or another healthcare provider to apply manual varus stress while obtaining the radiograph on one knee at a time. The present study aimed to describe, in detail, the preferred method of the authors to assess the opening of the lateral compartment in both knees simultaneously, which also avoids the need for the examiner to be present in the imaging room.

Keywords

knee - fractures - stress - radiography

^* Investigation performed at the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopediae Traumatologia.

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