title: Magnetic resonance imaging as a screening procedure to avoid arthroscopy for meniscal tears.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a screening procedure before arthroscopy of meniscal tears. Forty-one knees in 40 patients underwent MRI and arthroscopy. Compared with arthroscopy, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for MRI for the nmedial meniscus were 100%, 77%, 71% and 100%, respectively, while the values for the lateral meniscus were 40%, 89%, 33% and 91%, respectively. The overall accuracy for MRI of the medial and lateral menisci combined was 84%. On the basis of the high predictive value of negative MRI, we conclude that MRI is useful to exclude patients from unnecessary arthroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital of Tromsø, Norway. jan@elvenes.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elvenes
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Jerome
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reikerås
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001182:Arthroscopy; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012421:Rupture; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries