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46. Accuracy of Clinical Examination and MRI for Meniscal Injuries of Knee Joint Taking Arthroscopy as the Gold Standard
Muhammad Ammar Naqvi1, M. Saif-ur-Rehman1, Zahid Shafiq2, Muhammad Tahir Yusuf2, Hafiz Muhammad Abid Hasan1 and Abdullah Tariq1
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the accuracy of clinical examination versus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for meniscal injuries of knee joint taking arthroscopy as the gold standard.
Study Design: Cross sectional study
Place and Duration of the Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Orthopedic and Spine Surgery from January to June 2019.
Materials and Methods: A total of 178 patients with knee injury were enrolled who were candidates for arthroscopy. Prior to MR I and arthroscopy, a detailed physical examination of the affected knee was done following with preliminary diagnosis. Findings of arthroscopy were taken as the definitive diagnosis and findings of the physical examination and MRI were compared.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 25.94±7.16. Among all those cases 119(66.5%) were male while 59(33.5%) were female cases. Meniscal injury was detected by MRI in 111(65.3%) of cases while it was undetected in 59(34.7%) of cases. On other hand meniscal injury was detected by clinical examination in 115(64.1%) and not detected in 63(35.9%) of cases. But arthroscopy detected meniscal injury in 113(63%) of cases while it remainsun detected in 62(37%) of cases. Clinical examination had a sensitivity of77% , specificity of 54% and diagnostic accuracy of 78% while MRI had the sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 73% and diagnostic accuracy of81%.
Conclusion: No significant difference was observed between the accuracy of clinical examination and MRI regarding the diagnosis of meniscal tears. MRI, other than specific circumstances, is an expensive and unnecessary diagnostic test in patients with suspected meniscal pathology.
Keywords: Meniscal teas, arthroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, clinical examination.
Citation of article: Naqvi MA, Rehman MS, Shafiq Z, Yusuf MT, Hasan HMA, Tariq A. Accuracy of Clinical Examination and MRI for Meniscal Injuries of Knee Joint Taking Arthroscopy as the Gold Standard. Med Forum 2020;31(9):199-202.