Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Sprained Ligaments of the Knee
Vinh Chung, Harvard Medical School Year III
Gillian Lieberman, MD
July 2001
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Agenda
• Introduction
• Diagnostic Procedures
• MRI Images
• Our Patient
• Summary
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Introduction
The knee is the most commonly injured joint
• Most common orthopedic problem in the ED with 1.3m
ED cases per year
• Over 50,000 knee injuries require operations in the U.S.
each year
• Knees are the most common joints examined by MRI
• Injuries continue to increase due to sports activities
Roberts, DM. Emergency department evaluation and treatment of knee and leg injuries. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2000 Feb; 18(1): 67-84, v-vi.
Rosen, Peter. Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 4th ed., 1998 Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
Tandeter, Howard. Acute Knee Injuries: Use of Decision Rules for Selective Radiograph Ordering. American Family Physican. December, 1999. Vol. 60: 9.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Ligament Anatomy
Netter, Frank. Atlas of Human Anatomy. Second Edition. Novartis: New Jersey. 1997. P. 475.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Anterior Cruciate Ligament
vs.
Posterior Cruciate Ligament
Ligament
ACL
PCL
Size
Smaller
Larger
Location
Anterior tibia to
lateral condyle
Posterior tibia to
medial condyle
Function
Prevent hyperextension
and posterior
displacement of femur
Prevent hyperflexion
and anterior
displacement of femur
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Ligament Injuries
Ligament Force Cause Frequency
Anterior Cruciate Lateral w/ Knee Extended Sports 60%
Posterior Cruciate Frontal w/ Knee Flexed MVA 3-10%
Lateral Collateral Medial Rare
Medial Collateral Lateral Common
Southmayd, William. Sports Health: The Complete Book of Athletic Injuries. Quick Fox: New York. 1981. P. 255-8.
Rosen, Peter. Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 4th ed., 1998. Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Meniscus Anatomy
• 52% of injuries occur
with ACL tears
• Failure to repair
damage may speed
up articular
degeneration
Rosen, Peter. Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 4th ed., 1998. Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
Netter, Frank. Atlas of Human Anatomy. Second Edition. Novartis: New Jersey. 1997. P. 474
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
O’Donoghue Triad
1959 Description
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament
• Medial Collateral Ligament
• Medial Meniscus
Arthroscopy
& MRI
• Anterior Cruciate Ligament
• Medial Collateral Ligament
• Lateral Meniscus
Southmayd, William. Sports Health: The Complete Book of Athletic Injuries. Quick Fox: New York. 1981. P. 248
Adalberth, T. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, scintigraphy, and arthroscopic evaluation of traumatic hemarthrosis of the knee. Am J Sports Med -
1997 Mar-Apr; 25(2): 231-7
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Treatment
• RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
• Surgery
Severity Treatment Duration
Grade I RICE 5 – 14 days
Grade II RICE 14 – 30 days
Grade III RICE / Surgery Months
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Diagnostic Algorithm
History / Physical Exam
Suspect Arterial
Damage
No Diagnosis Diagnosis
Arteriogram
Plain Films
MRI /
Arthroscopy
Grade III Grade I or II
Treatment
Fracture No Fracture
CT
Pain
Ultrasound
RICE
Diagnosis /
Treatment
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
History and Physical Exam
Advantages
• Cheap
• Non-invasive
• Can identify most knee
joint lesions
• 90% sensitive in
detecting ACL injuries
Disadvantages
• 58% accuracy compared
with arthroscopy
• Very difficult to
diagnose: chondral
fractures, loose bodies,
and fibrotic fat pads
• 38-95% accurate in
diagnosing ACL injuries
Strobel, Michael. Diagnostic Evaluation of the Knee. Springer-Verlag. 1990.
Rosen, Peter. Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 4th ed., 1998. Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
Tandeter, Howard. Acute Knee Injuries: Use of Decision Rules for Selective Radiograph Ordering. American Family Physican. December, 1999. Vol. 60: 9.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Plain Films
Advantages
• Cheap
• Non-invasive
• Rules out fractures and
foreign bodies
Disadvantages
• Overly used: 85% of knee
injuries seen in ED get
radiographs, but only 6-
12% yield fractures
• Cannot image meniscus or
ligament
Roberts, DM. Emergency department evaluation and treatment of knee and leg injuries. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2000 Feb; 18(1): 67-84, v-vi.
Tandeter, Howard. Acute Knee Injuries: Use of Decision Rules for Selective Radiograph Ordering. American Family Physican. December, 1999. Vol. 60: 9.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Plain Film – ACL Avulsion
Bony ligament
avulsion apparent at
tibial intercondyle
eminence
Strobel, Michael. Diagnostic Evaluation of the Knee. Springer-Verlag. 1990.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
CT Athrogram
Advantages
• Excellent for
fractures
• Good for
ligament and
meniscal tears
• Used if MRI
contraindication
Disadvantages
• Not as good as
MRI
• May be painful
Strobel, Michael. Diagnostic Evaluation of the Knee. Springer-Verlag. 1990.
Intact ACL
Torn ACL
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Arthroscopy
Advantages
• 84-97% accuracy in
diagnosing knee pathology
• Excellent for treatment
• Simultaneous therapy
through ligament
debridement or
reconstruction
Disadvantages
• Invasive
• Cannot see posterior
meniscal tear
• Difficult to see PCL
• Therapeutically, the most commonly performed
orthopedic surgical procedure
• Diagnostically, the gold standard for intra-articular
pathology of the knee, but has been replaced by MRI
Rosen, Peter. Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 4th ed., 1998. Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
MRI
Advantages
• No radiation
• Non-invasive
• Highly sensitive and
specific for diagnosing
ligament and meniscal
lesions
• Aid for pre-operative
planning
• Can preclude
unnecessary arthroscopy
Disadvantages
• Expensive, $600-$1,200
Rosen, Peter. Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 4th ed., 1998. Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
Gray, Scott. Imaging of the Knee. Current Status. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. October 1997. Volume 28: 4.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
MRI Knee Coil
• Knee coils eliminate
image distortions
• Patient is supine, hip
fully extended, and
knee slightly flexed
• Complete exam
takes 20 minutes
Strobel, Michael. Diagnostic Evaluation of the Knee. Springer-Verlag. 1990.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Normal ACL and PCL
ACL PCL
• Visualized as linear low signal ligament
strand (blue arrows)
• Less homogeneous than PCL
• Parallels roof of intercondylar notch
(yellow arrows)
Gray, Scott. Imaging of the Knee. Current Status. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. October 1997. Volume 28: 4.
Diagnostic Evaluation of the Knee. Springer-Verlag. 1990.
• Uniformly low in signal intensity
• Curves superiorly and anteriorly from the
tibia to femur
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Complete ACL Tear
• Poorly defined, mixed
signal intensity at
location where ACL
should be. This is due
to blood and edema
• High intensity (F) is
joint effusion
Gray, Scott. Imaging of the Knee. Current Status. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. October 1997. Volume 28: 4.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Acute PCL Tear
• High signal intensity
wavy fibrids where
PCL should be
located. This
represents hemorrhage
and edema
Gray, Scott. Imaging of the Knee. Current Status. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. October 1997. Volume 28: 4.
21
Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Normal Menisci
Proton density-weighted sagittal images of two C-shaped
menisci with the curves extending peripherally
Lateral
meniscus
peripherally
Lateral
meniscus
slightly more
centrally
resembles a
bow-tie
Lateral
meniscus
centrally
through the two
horns shows
two triangles
Medial
meniscus
centrally
through horns
demonstrates
two triangles
Thornton, Dean and David A. Rubin. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Knee Menisci. Seminars in Roentgenology. Volume: 35:3.
July 2000.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Meniscal Tear
High signal intensity in
posterior horn of medial
meniscus extending to
the surface indicates
clinically significant tear
Gray, Scott. Imaging of the Knee. Current Status. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. October 1997. Volume 28: 4.
23
Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Our Patient
• 46 year-old white male with a
basketball injury of left knee
• Suggests meniscus tear
• Negative for fractures and bony
avulsions
HPI:
PE:
Plain Films:
An MRI is indicated
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Diagnostic Algorithm
History / Physical Exam
Suspect Arterial
Damage
No Diagnosis Diagnosis
Arteriogram
Plain Films
MRI
Grade III Grade I or II
Treatment
Fracture No Fracture
CT
Pain
Ultrasound
RICE
Diagnosis /
Treatment
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Our Patient:
Normal Menisci
Menisci are normal in signal intensity and
morphology in both lateral and medial compartment.
Cartilage is preserved
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Our Patient:
Bone Contusions
In the lateral
compartment, bony
contusions involving
lateral femoral
condyle and proximal
tibia
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Our Patient:
ACL Tear
Increased signal intensity, wavy fibrids where ACL
should be. All of these signs suggest complete ACL
tear.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Our Patient:
Normal PCL
PCL is intact and
normal in signal
intensity.
29
Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD Our Patient:
Medial Collateral Ligament:
Grade II Sprain
There is increased
signal intensity
surrounding the medial
collateral ligament.
MCL is partially torn.
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Summary of MRI Findings
on our patient
• Mensical tear
• Complete ACL tear
• Bone contusions
• Medial collateral ligament,
grade II sprain
Ruled Out:
Ruled In:
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Diagnostic Procedure
Comparison
HPI /
PE
Plain
Film CT US ART MRI
Accuracy:
Risks:
Costs:
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Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Summary
• Knee injuries, especially ligament tears, are very
common
• History and physical examination are valuable, but
sometimes insufficient to diagnose ligament tears
• MRI is the superior diagnostic tool for ligament
injuries of the knees
33
Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
References
• Adalberth, T. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, scintigraphy, and arthroscopic evaluation of traumatic
hemarthrosis of the knee. Am J Sports Med - 1997 Mar-Apr; 25(2): 231-7
• Gray, Scott. Imaging of the Knee. Current Status. Orthopedic Clinics of North America. October
1997. Volume 28: 4.
• Netter, Frank. Atlas of Human Anatomy. Second Edition. Novartis: New Jersey. 1997.
• Roberts, DM. Emergency department evaluation and treatment of knee and leg injuries. Emerg Med
Clin North Am. 2000 Feb; 18(1): 67-84, v-vi.
• Rosen, Peter. Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 4th ed., 1998 Mosby-Year
Book, Inc.
• Strobel, Michael. Diagnostic Evaluation of the Knee. Springer-Verlag. 1990.
•
Tandeter, Howard. Acute Knee Injuries: Use of Decision Rules for Selective Radiograph
Ordering. American Family Physican. December, 1999. Vol. 60: 9.
•
Thornton, Dean and David A. Rubin. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Knee Menisci.
Seminars in Roentgenology. Volume: 35:3. July 2000.
Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
34
Vinh Chung
Gillian Lieberman, MD
Acknowledgements
Larry Barbaras
Cara Lyn D’amour
Daniel Lim
Daniel Saurborn
Leisle Chung
Sprained Ligaments of the Knee
Agenda
Introduction
Ligament Anatomy
Anterior Cruciate Ligament� vs. �Posterior Cruciate Ligament
Ligament Injuries
Meniscus Anatomy
O’Donoghue Triad
Treatment
Diagnostic Algorithm
History and Physical Exam
Plain Films
Plain Film – ACL Avulsion
CT Athrogram
Arthroscopy
MRI
MRI Knee Coil
Normal ACL and PCL
Complete ACL Tear
Acute PCL Tear
Normal Menisci
Meniscal Tear
Our Patient
Diagnostic Algorithm
Our Patient:�Normal Menisci
Our Patient:�Bone Contusions
Our Patient:�ACL Tear
Our Patient:�Normal PCL
Our Patient:�Medial Collateral Ligament: Grade II Sprain
Summary of MRI Findings �on our patient
Diagnostic Procedure Comparison
Summary
Slide Number 33
Acknowledgements