Usefulness of oblique coronal magnetic resonance images of the knee after posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Abstract

To know the usefulness of the oblique coronal view of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in the evaluation of the graft normal anatomy and the diagnostic accuracy of combining the PCL view with orthogonal views for the evaluation of PCL graft failure or impingement after reconstruction procedures. This retrospective study included 54 patients who underwent PCL-view MRI after PCL reconstruction surgery. Anatomic identification of graft failure and impingement was scored by two radiologists. The ability to diagnose PCL graft failure with the PCL view, orthogonal view or combined PCL/orthogonal views was evaluated by calculating the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. The entire width discrimination scores and margin sharpness scores for the PCL view were significantly higher than those for the orthogonal view for both readers. The specificities and accuracies for the PCL view and the combined PCL/orthogonal views were higher than those for the orthogonal view alone, but these differences were not statistically significant. The PCL view provided a better anatomic evaluation than the orthogonal view with regard to the entire width evaluation and margin sharpness evaluation of the PCL graft. The combined view of orthogonal and PCL views was slightly more sensitive and accurate, but not significantly so, in the diagnoses of graft failure and impingement. The PCL view provided a better anatomic evaluation than the orthogonal view with regard to the entire width evaluation and margin sharpness evaluation of the PCL graft. The PCL view was slightly more sensitive and accurate, but not significantly so, in the diagnoses of graft failure and impingement.