An RMN Genunchi provides detailed pictures of your knee joint, muscles and tissues without using radiation (x-rays). You will lie on a table that slides into the tunnel-like scanner. The procedure takes between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your condition and how many images are needed.
The MRI is very useful for investigating ligament, tendon and cartilage injuries of the knee. Unlike CT, MRI can detect arthritic cartilage loss and can accurately assess meniscal tears. The MRI is also useful for the diagnosis of the common causes of knee pain, including inflammation, fluid in the joint and damage to the nerves in and around the knee.
Knee Deep in Clarity: The Diagnostic Power of MRI in Knee Health
MRI is particularly effective in evaluating the patellar tendon, including proximal and distal tendinitis. Often, this appears as thickened tissue with increased signal intensity. Patellar tendonitis is associated with reactive bone marrow edema and can lead to subchondral osteonecrosis of the patella.
The MRI can be used to investigate other problems in the knee, such as a patellar tendon fracture, patellar osteochondrosis and a displaced patellar fragment. It is also the investigation of choice for the assessment of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury in the valgus ligament. MRI can demonstrate varying degrees of injury and is useful for predicting the outcome of MCL surgery. MRI can also reveal changes in the MCL that suggest a grade 3 injury and that it may be disrupted in some cases.