Magnetic resonance imaging of knee trauma: biomechanical approach.

Knee trauma often produces predictable groupings of ligamentous and meniscal injuries. Structures that perform related kinematic functions are damaged by the same traumatic mechanisms. When one supporting structure is disrupted, synergistic structures are jeopardized. Locations of meniscal tear, capsuloligamentous sprain, and osseous injury all provide clues about the mechanism of injury. By understanding the most common patterns of knee injury, a biomechanical approach can be used in the interpretation of magnetic resonance images. The identification of abnormality in one structure should lead to a directed search for subtle abnormalities involving anatomically or functionally related structures, thereby improving diagnostic confidence.