MRI Of Epiphyseal Injuries Of The Adolescent Knee

OBJECTIVE:To describe the MRI findings of epiphyseal injuries of the adolescent knee and to assess the ability of MRI to find such injuries.MATERIAL& METHODS:Twenty-two cases with epiphyseal injuries of the adolescent knee examined with MRI were reviewed(Injuries were classified by the Salter-Harris systom) and compared with 11 cases had DR.The inclusion criteria of patients is the epiphyseal line unclosed. Of the 22 cases,16 male,6 femal.Age range 7 to 18,the average age is 14.5.MRI examine were taken after 1 to 30 days of injuries,the average time is 8.6 days.Coronal T1-weighted and FS-PDweighted and sigittal T1-weighted and FS-PDweighted MR sequences of the knee were conventionally taked.Of the 22 cases,11 patients taked DR,,2 patients were examined with CT.(Injuries were classified by the Salter-Harris systom).RESULTS:Eleven distal femoral epiphysea linjuries (Salter-HarrisⅠ,n=2; Salter-HarrisⅡ,n=2; Salter-HarrisⅢ,n=2;Ⅵ,n=5).10 proximal tibia epiphyseal injuries(Salter-HarrisⅡ,n=2; Salter-HarrisⅢ,n=4; Salter-HarrisⅣ,n=2;Ⅵ,n=2). One patella avulsion injury(Salter-HarrisⅢ). Fracture lines were seen in 15 cases,showed linear abnormal signal as linear low signal intensity on T1WI imagine and linear high signal intensity on FS-PDWI imagine.Marrow edema was seen in all 22 cases,T1WI MR imagine demonstrated irregularly diffuse low signal intensity,FS-PDWI MR imagine demonstrated irregularly diffuse high signal intensity.Physeal widening was seen in 12 cases,T1WI MR imagine demonstrated low signal intensity, FS-PDWI MR imagine demonstrated high signal intensity. Periosteal elevation or abrupt was observed in 10 cases, T1WI MR imagine demonstrated low signal intensity,FS-PDWI MR imagine demonstrated high signal intensity. Sixteen patients had associated meniscal injuries, T1WI MR imagine demonstrated linear equal or a little high signal intensity, FS-PDWI MR imagine demonstrated linear high signal intensity,.Thirteen patients had ligmentous injuries, twelve patients had soft tissue structures injuries, T1WI MR imagine demonstrated irregularly diffuse low signal intensity,FS-PDWI MR imagine demonstrated irregularly diffuse high signal intensity.Fourteen patients had jiont effusion,five patients had suprapatellar capsule effusion, T1WI MR imagine demonstrated low signal intensity, FS-PDWI MR imagine demonstrated irregularly diffuse high signal intensity. Fractures were find in only 4 of 11 cases on DR,fractures of the rest 7 cases were diagnosised by MRI.CONCLUSIONS:The MRI signs of epiphyseal injuries at the adolescent knee are typical.MRI provides improved findings of non-displaced epiphyseal injuries of the adolescent knee,while simultanoeusly allowing for evaluation of the accompanying injuries.