[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.

Findings: There is no significant increase in joint fluid. The quadriceps tendon and patellar tendon are intact. The anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments are intact. The medal and lateral collateral ligament are intact. There continues to be signal in the femoral attachment of the medial collateral ligament consistent with previous injury.

There is some degeneration involving the lateral meniscus but no discrete tear is identified. The medial meniscus is intact. The bone marrow signal is normal. There is no abnormal signal in the lateral tibial plateau and no thinning 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.

[Koala77]

I'm not a doctor or a radiologist but I'll have a go.

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.

Basically it means there is some scarring of the cartilage near the knee from an old injury, but no new injuries showed up on the scan.

Here's a link to a website that I find helpful.
http://www.chirogeek.com/003_CT-Axial_Tutorial.htm

[meridianboy00]

Thanks for the info. Is it possiable that i will need another surgery or is this something that will need to work itself out>? I work for direct tv so there is alot of climbing in high places so i havent been able to go back 2 work as of yet. Any chances you think they will let me go back with the mir info here?

[Koala77]

I think you have to go with whatever your doctor says, but from the scan report it doesn't sound like you'd need surgery at the moment. It does however state that you have pain and swelling in that knee, so it makes sense to rest the knee at least until that's all gone.

Your doctor will want to see you with the films and the report, and he/she will be able to explain things much better than I can, with my limited knowledge.