Abstract
Purpose: To compare radiography, MR imaging, and chemical analysis in posttraumatic knees.
Material and Methods: Ten matched pairs with either isolated partial rupture of the medial collateral ligament or combined medial collateral ligament/anterior cruciate ligament rupture were compared with matched controls 10 years after trauma. Weight-bearing radiographs and MR examinations were compared with proteoglycan fragment concentrations in the joint fluid.
Results: The chemical analyses were similar in both trauma groups. The radiographs showed mild signs of arthrosis in half the patients with combined injury. MR images showed almost all injuried knees to have degenerative changes of various degrees in the cartilage and menisci. More frequent and more advanced changes were found after combined injury than after isolated injury (p <0.01). There were no changes in the controls.
Conclusion: MR imaging is the best method for detecting and differentiating early posttraumatic knee arthrosis.
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