title: Mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament: MRI, clinical, intraoperative, and histological findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical, MRI, intraoperative, and histological features of mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 10 patients (average age 47 years, range 19-69 years) who underwent surgery due to clinical diagnoses of mucoid degeneration of the ACL. All patients underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and were arthroscopically treated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 10 patients reported preoperative posterior knee pain. MRI indicated a thickened ACL with increased signal on all sequences. Postoperatively, only six of 10 patients were confirmed by biopsy to have a mucoid degeneration of the ACL. An associated intraosseous tibial cyst or ganglion was observed only in patients with a definitive diagnosis of mucoid degeneration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mucoid degeneration of the ACL can be suspected in patients with posterior knee pain associated with a thickened ACL. Associated findings such as an intraosseous tibial or ganglion cyst help to rule out differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedics Department, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Potosi 4247, C1199ACK, Buenos Aires, Argentina. makinoresearch@gmail.com
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pascual-Garrido
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rolón
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: Domingo L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Muscolo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016118:Anterior Cruciate Ligament / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D007719:Knee Joint; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D035583:Rare Diseases; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Arthroscopy. 2001 Nov-Dec;17(9):E37
references.pmid: 11694941
references.citation: Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2009 Jul;17(7):737-40
references.pmid: 19089409
references.citation: J Chin Med Assoc. 2006 Sep;69(9):449-52
references.pmid: 17051758
references.citation: J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1999 Mar;81(2):304-5
references.pmid: 10204939
references.citation: J Orthop Res. 2002 Sep;20(5):984-9
references.pmid: 12382963
references.citation: J Okla State Med Assoc. 2004 Aug;97(8):326-8
references.pmid: 15490857
references.citation: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004 May;182(5):1283-7
references.pmid: 15100133
references.citation: Arthroscopy. 2004 Feb;20(2):141-6
references.pmid: 14760345
references.citation: Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2010 Jan;18(1):130-3
references.pmid: 19730816
references.citation: Skeletal Radiol. 2001 Jun;30(6):312-5
references.pmid: 11465770
references.citation: J Orthop Surg Res. 2006 Nov 02;1:11
references.pmid: 17150118
references.citation: J Clin Pathol. 2001 May;54(5):381-4
references.pmid: 11328838