Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee: correlation with arthroscopy.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to diagnose acute and chronic intraarticular knee pathology in 23 knees. The results were compared with arthroscopic findings of meniscal, ligamentous, and articular cartilaginous pathology using a double-blind prospective protocol. The overall accuracy for meniscal tears was 78%, with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 72%; for cruciate ligaments, MRI was 82% accurate, with a sensitivity of 67% [anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) only] and a specificity of 86%. In select clinical situations, MRI of the knee is a useful diagnostic tool.