Cartilage lesions in the ankle joint: comparison of MR arthrography and CT arthrography.
OBJECTIVE
To compare MR arthrography and CT arthrography for the evaluation of cartilage lesions in the ankle joint.


METHODS
Thirty-six consecutive patients with clinically suspected cartilage lesions were prospectively included in the study. A 1:1 mixture of diluted gadoteridol (4 mmol/l) and iopamidol (300 mg iodine/ml) was injected. The articular cartilages of the talus, tibia, and fibula were analyzed separately by two musculoskeletal radiologists. A review panel consisting of two musculoskeletal radiologists and an orthopedic surgeon represented the standard of reference.


RESULTS
For reader 1 accuracy of MR arthrography in the talus/tibia/fibula (88%/88%/94%) was slightly inferior to CT arthrography (90%/94%/92%). For reader 2, the accuracy was 76%/78%/83% for MR arthrography, and 92%/93%/92% for CT arthrography, respectively. Interobserver agreement for MR arthrography was 79%/74%/89% (kappa 0.47/0.34/0.27), while interobserver agreement for CT arthrography was 89%/90%/89% (kappa 0.69/0.54/0.54).


CONCLUSIONS
CT arthrography appears to be more reliable than MR arthrography for the detection of cartilage lesions in the ankle joint.
Schmid
M R
MR
Department of Radiology, Orthopedic University Hospital Balgrist, Forchstrasse 340, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland. mariusschmid@hotmail.com
Pfirrmann
C W A
CW
Hodler
J
J
Vienne
P
P
Zanetti
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001175:Arthrography / Q000379:methods*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods