MR imaging findings in early osteoarthritis of the knee.
OBJECTIVE
To carry out a modern diagnostic survey among patients with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of early osteoarthritis of the knee.


METHODS
A magnetic resonance imaging survey was performed on 70 patients (82 knees) with a mean age of 59 years. (range, 40-71 years) who had chronic knee pain, clinical diagnosis of early osteoarthritis of the knee and conventional knee radiographs classified as 1 and 2 on the Kellgren-Lawrence scale.


RESULTS
A variety of different disorders was found; degenerative meniscal lesions with or without ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament in 70.7% of the knees, osteonecrosis of the femoral and tibial condyles in 9.75%, osteophytes and degenerative articular cartilage lesions in 8.54%, transient osteoporosis in 2.44% and benign neoplasms and cysts in 6.1%.


CONCLUSIONS
The existence of such a heterogenous group of disorders in these "early osteoarthritic knees" may explain failures in treatment and it may justify a modern MRI imaging approach to proper diagnosis.
Karachalios
Theofilos
T
Othopaedic Department, University of Thessaly, University Hospital of Larissa, Papakiriazi 22, Hellenic Republic, Larissa 41222, Greece. kar@med.uth.gr
Zibis
Aristidis
A
Papanagiotou
Panagiotis
P
Karantanas
Apostolos H
AH
Malizos
Konstantinos N
KN
Roidis
Nikolaos
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000473:pathology; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology; D002812:Chondroma / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D015775:Fractures, Stress / Q000175:diagnosis; D045888:Ganglion Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010020:Osteonecrosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011859:Radiography; D012421:Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis; D013997:Time Factors