Acute Osseous Injury to the Knee

Prevalence, Epidemiology, and Definitions

The imager's role in diagnosis and treatment of knee trauma is not only to accurately identify specific injuries, but also to recognize patterns of imaging findings that suggest that further investigation is warranted. It may be difficult for a primary care or emergency department provider to accurately choose which patients complaining of knee pain need further imaging after a radiographic series based on history and physical examination alone. In the setting of trauma, it remains essential that the imager interpret the radiographic examination in the context of patient age, history, and physical examination findings with the secondary goal of alerting the referring clinician to clues that may indicate further imaging, in the form of MRI, CT, or even dedicated ultrasound. A percentage of patients will have diagnostic findings, such as a fracture or dislocation, on knee radiographs. But the art of imaging the knee in today's fitness-conscious and athletically inclined population is to serve as a true consultant to the referring clinician by accurately diagnosing the need for further imaging investigation and appropriate subspecialty (orthopedics) referral, as well as guiding the referrer toward the most appropriate treatment plans based on imaging findings.

Pathophysiology