MR Assessment of Distribution and Amount of Joint Effusion in Patients with Traumatic Knee Joint Disorders.
10.3348/jkrs.1999.40.6.1211
- Author:
Mi Gyoung KO
1
;
Ik YANG
;
Kyung Won LEE
;
Yul LEE
;
Soo Young CHUNG
;
Kwan Seop LEE
;
Jung Han YOO
Author Information
1. Department of Radiology, College of Medicine Hallym University, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Knee, MR;
Joints, fluid
- MeSH:
Humans;
Joints*;
Knee Joint*;
Knee*;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- From:Journal of the Korean Radiological Society
1999;40(6):1211-1215
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: To clarify the distribution of joint effusion, and the relationship between type of injury andamount of joint effusion seen in traumatic knee joint magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weretrospectively reviewed the MR images of 400 patients with traumatic knee joint effusion. The knee joint spacewas divided into four compartments: central portion (para-ACL, para-PCL), suprapatellar pouch, posterior femoralrecess, and subpopliteal recess, and we then compared the amount and distribution of effusion. For statisticalanalysis, the chi-square test was used. RESULTS: Among 400 MRI examinations of joint effusion, 383 knees (96%)showed homogeneous low intensity on T1-weighted images, and - except for ten cases of fluid-fluid levels-homogeneous high intensity on T2-weighted images. Knee joint effusion was clearly shown to be distributed mainlyin the suprapatellar pouch (345, 86%), followed by the central posterior femoral recess, and the subpoplitealrecess (p<0.001). Extensive joint effusion was less frequently found in the normal group, but was occasionallyfound in the combined injury group (p<0.001). The relationship between amount of joint effusion and type ofinjury was statistically significant (p<0.001), except in the case of medial and lateral collateral ligamentinjury. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of joint effusion in patients with traumatic knee disorders is a reflectionof anatomic communication, and whether the amount of joint effusion was small or large depended on the anatomicallocation and type of injury.
