Clinical significance of magnetic resonance imaging of the ankle and foot.

Magnetic resonance imaging is of major diagnostic value in foot and ankle pathology. It is noninvasive and extremely accurate, and rarely gives false negative or false positive results. Any false results are due invariably to poor imaging, or inept interpretation by the radiologist or orthopedist or both. Diagnostic accuracy is increased by clinical correlation. Magnetic resonance imaging is not only a valuable diagnostic tool with respect to the foot and ankle but also is often of great value in either indicating or contraindicating surgery or modifying the preoperative surgical management. Finally, the orthopedist must be aware of the current limitations of MR imaging and not assume that a negative reading indicates the absence of pathology.