title: Soft tissue impingement syndrome of the ankle: diagnostic efficacy of MRI and clinical results after arthroscopic treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soft-tissue impingement syndrome is now increasingly being recognized as a significant cause of chronic ankle pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced, fat-suppressed, three-dimensional (3D), fast-gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state with radio-frequency-spoiling (CE 3D-FSPGR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to evaluate the clinical outcome of arthroscopic treatment of soft-tissue impingement associated with the ankle trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study reviewed 38 patients who had preoperative MRI and arthroscopic treatment of chronic ankle pain after trauma. The CE 3D-FSPGR MRI was used to evaluate the chronic ankle pain, and the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Score was used to evaluate the clinical results after arthroscopic treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CE 3D-FSPGR MRI showed a sensitivity of 91.9%, a specificity of 84.4%, and an accuracy of 87.5% in diagnosing synovitis and soft tissue impingement. All patients had excellent or good outcomes after arthroscopic debridement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that a preoperative fat-suppressed CE 3D-FSPGR MRI is highly beneficial in diagnosing synovitis and soft-tissue impingement and that arthroscopic debridement of the synovitis or soft-tissue impingement has a good clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Shinchon-dong 134, Seoul 120-752, S. Korea. ljwos@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
authors.forename: Jin Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin-Suck
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Yong-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.forename: Eun-Su
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Sung Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D001182:Arthroscopy; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013577:Syndrome; D013585:Synovitis / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome