MRI translation please

[tanyap]

Hi,
I got my doctors office to fax me over my MRI results as he had not showed them directly to me.

I do not understand how my ligaments look ok after all my dislocations!!! The metal bit is an old screw from my TTT 20 years ago. Can any one explain the vertical fracture bit:

MRI RIGHT KNEE 22-06-07

INDICATION: Instability

FINDINGS:
There is metal through the upper tibia causing artefact but not interfering with the views of the joint space.

There is a vertical fracture through the posterior horn of the medial meniscus extending from superior to inferior surfaces without signs of displacement.

The ligaments appear intact.

Examination is otherwise unremarkable.

[costumer]

I'm no dr, but..... basically it's saying that the screw is causing some distortion so they can't see right there (artefact), but that it doesn't impact the area they're looking at, so they don't really care.

well, a fracture is a crack. sounds like it's cleaner than a tear which would be fuzzy - but I'm just guessing on that. Either way, a fracture is a break. The meniscus is shaped like a big C where each hook is called a 'horn' - so the one in front is the anterior horn, and the hook in the back is the posterior horn. You have two meniscii in each knee: one on the outside (lateral) and one towards your center-line (medial). This is in the one towards center-line. So essentially it's saying you have a break in the meniscus (cartilage pad that helps stabilize the femur bone on the tibia) that runs from front to back in the medial side meniscus - but luckily one of the pieces have shifted at all.

At least, that's my best guess  at the medicalese. does that help any?

  -Judy

[Leentje]

Some adds :

Superior : the higher lying parts
Inferior : the lower lying parts
Posterior : backside

So you have a tear in your medial meniscus running from the back to the middle

Fracture here means tear, you can't "break" a meniscus

Helena

[tanyap]

Thanks so much guys - re-reading fracture as tear and posterior as backside does vertical fracture (or tear) mean that its torn across the midline of the C or down along the back of the C? Does that make sense?

Helena when you say back to middle - I guess what Im asking is 'what bit of the C is the middle and what bit is the back?'

[Leentje]

When you would look into your knee from above (like just taking the tighbone away) the medial meniscus is C-shaped. So the tear will probably go from the bottom part from the C  to the center of the C. The outher part of the C (the outher curve, the tummy) are thicker then the inner part.


Best is to ask your OS! I am not a dr remember? Have loads of ortho experience but still can't know everything!

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out to be!

Helena

[tanyap]

Thanks Helena - youre very sweet to post a pic and all!!!
Ive a better understanding of it now - my OS acknowledged there was a tear but said he wouldnt do anything about it? Im not sure why.