TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - The Knee A1 - Malone, Terry R. A1 - Hazle, Charles A1 - Grey, Michael L. A1 - Hendrix, Paul C. PY - 2016 T2 - Imaging for the Health Care Practitioner AB - Imaging of the knee has changed dramatically during the last 15 years as a result of enhanced imaging capabilities but also owing to a better appreciation of the pathology or injury, and thus planning of surgical intervention or other treatment. The primary challenges at the knee include multiple joints, weight-bearing functions, and a variety of anatomic structures. Because clinicians always attempt to gain the greatest assurance of detail, they have often accepted the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as requisite to models of “best practice.” Importantly, the use of plain radiography coupled with appropriate physical examination provides very acceptable levels of sensitivity and specificity for most routine clinical examinations.1 The use of MRI is best applied in complex patients (multiple injuries) or where structural tissue differentiation is desired, particularly if surgical planning can be enhanced. The most common approach for MRI use is to use T1-weighted images to outline basic anatomic detail and T2-weighted images to better define specific structures (particularly soft and fibrous tissues) and to provide greater contrast. A very exciting evolution is to use additional modifications such as high-resolution proton density–fast spin echo (FSE) to elucidate and map articular cartilage changes that occur early in the “disease process” and thus permit clinicians hopefully to treat patients better based on predicted outcomes (Figure 16-1). SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/11/13 UR - accessphysiotherapy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1128341078 ER -