Magnetic resonance imaging of total knee arthroplasty.

Evaluation of painful total knee arthroplasty can be clinically difficult, and traditional imaging techniques such as conventional radiographs, arthrography, and bone scintigraphy are limited by poor contrast resolution and specificity. Traditional magnetic resonance imaging techniques often are nondiagnostic because of significant metal artifact. Forty-one patients (46 knees) had magnetic resonance imaging, tailored to reduce metallic susceptibility artifact, after total knee arthroplasty, and the findings and clinical and surgical followup were reviewed. All studies consistently showed the integrity of the periprosthetic soft tissues. Magnetic resonance imaging findings led to surgical or other therapeutic interventional procedures in 20 patients, and influenced clinical treatment in all patients. Optimized magnetic resonance imaging, in which the metallic artifact is diminished, is a clinically useful adjunct to traditional imaging techniques in evaluation of patients with painful total knee arthroplasty.