Magnetic resonance imaging of synovial diseases of knee

Abstract

A specialized tissue called synovium lines the body's tendons, bursae, and synovial joints. It is affected by various localized or systemic disorders. These are classified into inflammatory, infectious, degenerative, traumatic, hemorrhagic, and neoplastic. Synovial damage leads to irreversible joint destruction. Imaging plays an important role in the early detection of the disease entity and enables for proper treatment. This article focuses on magnetic resonance imaging of synovial diseases pertaining to knee – (1) infective synovitis; (2) rheumatoid synovitis; (3) pigmented villonodular synovitis; (4) lipoma arborescens; (5) synovial hemangioma; and (6) synovial sarcoma.