Comparison of Indirect MR Arthrography With Conventional MRI in the Diagnosis of Knee Pathologies in Patients With Knee Pain.
BACKGROUND
Knee pain is a common problem in the general population. In order to determine the extent of the injury and the appropriate treatment, MRI provides the most accurate imaging method. This may be done through conventional MRI techniques or by injecting a contrast material (MR arthrography).


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of these two methods.


METHODS
The study involved the diagnostic evaluation on 60 patients with knee pain who received treatment over the course of a one-year period. Referred patients were randomly divided into two groups: indirect MR arthrography was performed on one group, and conventional MRI was performed on the other group. Both groups then underwent arthroscopy. The results from both groups were compared with the arthroscopic findings.


RESULTS
In all of the pathologies studied, the sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values were evaluated. A high rate of accuracy was found between MR arthrography and arthroscopy (P < 0.05) for all knee injuries, however a similar rate of accuracy between conventional MRI and arthroscopy was only seen in patients with damage to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the tibio-femoral articular cartilage, and patella chondromalacia (P < 0.05). The highest rate of accuracy was seen in cases where indirect MR arthrography was used for the diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage (K = 1).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results have shown that indirect MR arthrography had greater diagnostic accuracy in regards to the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values than conventional MRI in knee pathologies.
Department of Radiology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
Ali
A
Babaei Jandaghi
Department of Orthopedics, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
Mohsen
M
Mardani-Kivi
Department of Orthopedics, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
Ahmadreza
A
Mirbolook
Trauma Research Center and Department of Orthopedics, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Mohammad Kazem
MK
Emami-Meybodi
Department of Radiology, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
Solmaz
S
Mohammadzadeh
Student Research Committee, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, IR Iran.
Maral
M
Farahmand
Conventional MRI; Indirect MR Arthrography; Knee Pain