Originally Posted by meridianboy00

Please help me understand what this MRI report is saying, and what may be my options.


Procedure: MRI Left Knee

History: Previous injury to the knee with surgery in May repairing a cartilage defect along the lateral tibial plateau. New swelling and pain.

Technique: The examination is preformed on the open .3 tesla magnet with sagittal, axial and coronal sequences obtained. (These are technical terms that explain what machine was used, as well as the views (like front to back, etc.) the machine was examining.)

Findings: There is no significant increase in joint fluid. (.)here should be fluid there, this means that your's had no extra that shouldn't be there.The quadriceps tendon (the tendon that attaches the quadraceps muscle to the knee) and patellar tendon (the knee cap tendon) are intact.(not torn or damaged in any way) The anterior (front) and posterior (back) cruciate ligaments (just the name given to the ligaments. You may have heard the anterior one referred to as the ACL) are intact. The medial (innermost) and lateral (side or outer) collateral ligament (again just the name given to the ligaments in this area) are intact. There continues to be signal in the femoral (thigh) attachment of the medial collateral ligament consistent with previous injury. (there is delayed signal from this ligament which indicates scarring, or thickening, from prior damage.)

There is some degeneration (breakdown, worn away, crumbling) involving the lateral (outer aspect or side) meniscus (cartilage) but no discrete (obvious) tear is identified. The medial meniscus (inner part of the cartilage) is intact. (looks normal) The bone marrow (the fluid inside the bones) signal is normal. There is no abnormal signal in the lateral (outer) tibial (shin bone) plateau (front of the bone) and no thinning (wearing away) of the cartilage can be identified.

Impression: Thickening and internal signal in the medial collateral ligament consistent with previous sprain/scarring. Mild degeneration involving the lateral meniscus without a discrete tear identified.