Meniscal tears of the knee: preliminary comparison of three-dimensional MR reconstruction with two-dimensional MR imaging and arthroscopy.

OBJECTIVE

A pilot study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) MR reconstructions in detecting meniscal tears.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Reconstructions of 24 knee menisci were made by using data from standard two-dimensional (2D) MR images. The results were compared with findings on 2D MR images and at arthroscopy.

RESULTS

All 17 arthroscopically proved meniscal tears were shown on the 3D reconstructions. Seven tears in five patients were shown on 3D reconstruction but not on 2D MR images, even on retrospective examination. Three of the seven were radial tears and four were horizontal tears. The seven missed tears were all located in the posterior horns.

CONCLUSION

Three-dimensional reconstructions are accurate for determining meniscal abnormalities and may be better than 2D imaging for evaluating the posterior horns of the menisci. Three-dimensional reconstructions may be indicated when 2D MR imaging shows no abnormality in patients in whom clinical findings strongly suggest a meniscal tear.