Osteochondral Lesions of the Knee: Differentiating the Most Common Entities at MRI

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Abstract
Several pathologic conditions may manifest as an osteochondral lesion of the knee at MRI and cause diagnostic difficulties, including acute and traumatic osteochondral injuries, subchondral insufficiency fracture of the knee, avascular necrosis, osteochondritis dissecans, and localized degenerative lesions; the typical patient demographics, clinical presentation, etiologic role of trauma, and pertinent MRI findings are reviewed. Several pathologic conditions may manifest as an osteochondral lesion of the knee that consists of a localized abnormality involving subchondral marrow, subchondral bone, and articular cartilage. Although understanding of these conditions has evolved substantially with the use of high-spatial-resolution MRI and histologic correlation, it is impeded by inconsistent terminology and ambiguous abbreviations. Common entities include acute traumatic osteochondral injuries, subchondral insufficiency fracture, so-called spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee, avascular necrosis, osteochondritis dissecans, and localized osteochondral abnormalities in osteoarthritis. Patient demographics, the clinical presentation, and the role of trauma are critical for differential diagnosis. A localized osteochondral defect can be created acutely or can develop as an end result of several chronic conditions. MRI features that aid in diagnosis include the location and extent of bone marrow edema, the presence of a fracture line, a...

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