Sonography of the knee joint().

The aim of this article is to review the sonographic appearances of common disorders involving the knee joint. Ultrasound is a sensitive method for diagnosis of tendon injuries. Injured ligaments appear swollen with mixed echogenicity. Meniscal injuries and muscle tears can be easily diagnosed. Ultrasound shows synovial thickening and effusion in inflammatory arthropathy and erosions of the articular surface in degenerative arthritis. It can be used effectively in the detection of rheumatoid arthritic activity and for grading degenerative arthritis lesions. Cystic lesions, as well as benign and malignant soft-tissue masses, are clearly delineated. Ultrasound is a safe noninvasive imaging modality that can be used for diagnosis of different disorders involving the knee joint.