A comparative study between MRI and arthroscopy in the diagnosis of ACL tears.

Abstract

Knee pain is a common complaint amongst the Maltese population. The researcher observed that many patients with knee problems were being referred for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigation in relation to injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The research study was designed to compare the 'sensitivity' and 'specificity' of MRI in diagnosing ACL tears, to the goal standard of arthroscopy. This was done by a retrospective study carried out at St. Luke's Hospital Malta, on 30 patients of any age and gender, who were diagnosed with an anterior cruciate ligament tear and who performed an MRI scan before an arthroscopy intervention. The results obtained indicated that there is a significant association between MRI and arthroscopy and that MRI is both 'sensitive' and 'specific' in diagnosing ACL tears. The results supported the literature found. However, the study should in no way be considered as conclusive. Further research must be done in order to obtain more significant results. The researcher recommends that the study should be done prospectively and with a larger sample size.