ABSTRACT
Ideally, the orthopaedic surgeon works together with the radiologist in order to understand
and contextualize the data obtained from a knee magnetic resonance imaging study.
In this article we review the information most useful to the practice of orthopaedic
surgery obtained from these MRI scans, including sections on ligaments, menisci, articular
cartilage, limb alignment, bone, and surrounding soft tissues. We place special emphasis
on evaluating the postoperative knee, ligament grafts, cartilage integrity, and other
conditions that present challenges to both orthopaedic surgeons and radiologists.
KEYWORDS
Magnetic resonance imaging - knee pathology - meniscal tear - anterior cruciate ligament
graft - postoperative imaging
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Lisa KhouryM.D.
Sports Medicine Fellow, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New York University Hospital
for Joint Diseases
301 East 17th Street, Room 1402, New York, NY 10003