Rad-11. MRI description of knee medial collateral ligament abnormalities in the absence of trauma: edema related to osteoarthritis and medial meniscal tears.

Edema in and around the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is often seen on MRI of the knee as a result of injury. However, similar findings are occasionally seen on MRI in patients without known history of trauma which is not well described in the literature. We performed a retrospective review of 18 adult knee MRIs with abnormalities of the MCL, some with a traumatic history and some without. The MRIs were reviewed for the extent of edema in and around the MCL, as well as other associated findings. Edema of the MCL on MRI can be found in three distinct categories of patients: (1) those with trauma to the MCL; (2) those without trauma but with medial compartment osteoarthritis; and (3) those without trauma but with degenerative medial meniscal tears. Atraumatic MCL edema may serve as a marker for medial knee compartment osteoarthritis or a degenerative medial meniscal tear and should not be confused with traumatically induced MCL injuries.

Mitchell Godbee, MD, Tim Propeck, MD, Kenneth L. Rall, MD, and Dennis Y. Wen, MD, Department of Radiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri Health Care, Columbia, MO.