A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / This investigation assessed the diagnostic accuracy of thin-slice
(1mm) axial Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the detection and
classification of meniscal tears. Meniscal injuries are a common
reason for knee pain and the use of MRI has become standard in their
assessment. However, the classification of tears and not merely the
detection of lesions has become increasingly important to surgeons in
deciding between surgery and conservative management. There is a
growing body of literature examining the utility of axial MR images in
aiding radiologists to more accurately describe and classify
morphological characteristics of meniscus tears. However, the thick-
slice (4-5mm) axial sequences utilized at many institutions typically
only produce 1-2 images on which the menisci can be visualized,
which does not provide the required detail to accurately describe the
morphological characteristics of meniscal lesions. This study adds to
the growing body of literature examining the diagnostic capabilities of
MRI with TSAi to accurately describe meniscal tear morphologies.
Imaging reports from 107 patients with clinically suspected meniscus
injuries who underwent MRI with thin-slice axial imaging were
compared to arthroscopic findings using receiver operating characteris
(ROC) analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of MRI with thin-
slice axial imaging (TSAi).
The sensitivity and specificity of MRI with TSAi for meniscal tear
detection were found to be 91% and 37.5% respectively. Furthermore,
MRI with TSAi was highly specific for bucket handle (98.5%) and root
ligament tears (94.1%). The findings of our investigation indicate that
MRI with TSAi may assist surgeons in determining the need for
operative versus conservative management. MRI with TSAi may be
particularly helpful in the case of root tears, which were not as readily
identified with traditional MRI techniques and often require surgical
intervention due to morbidity associated with unrepaired root tears.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/627147 |
| Date | 28 March 2018 |
| Creators | Albert, Andrew |
| Contributors | The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Leung, Jimmy MD |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the College of Medicine - Phoenix, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
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