Computed Tomography of Knee Injuries

Abstract

The knee is the largest and most complex joint in the body and a wide variety of bone and soft tissue injuries are seen in the knee. Trauma to the knee can result in injury to the bone, articular cartilage, meniscus and ligaments. Fractures of the proximal tibia, particularly those that extend into the knee joint, are serious injuries that frequently result in functional impairment. Recent advances in cross-sectional imaging, particularly in computed tomography (CT), have given this modality a prominent role in the detection and classification of fractures in and around the knee. With the advent of high-performance multi-detector CT, isotropic data sets can be generated with subsecond gantry rotation times and submillimetre slice thickness. CT arthrography can clearly demonstrate many lesions in the plethora of internal derangement of the knee. CT arthrography also deserves its advantage as it may be used to evaluate knee injuries in patients where magnetic resonance imaging is contraindicated. In this article we discuss the indications for imaging of knee injuries by CT, present the advantages of multi-detector CT and CT arthrography, and provide examples that highlight the utility of CT in the evaluation of the knee injuries.