Arthrography and arthrotomy of the knee in sports injuries.

A total of 266 patients with injuries to the knee sustained during sports activities were managed by arthroscopy and/or arthrotomy. All of them received systemic examination and a standard battery of knee stability tests. Fifty-three were examined by arthrography and all underwent arthrotomy for surgical correction of the lesion diagnosed by both clinical examination and arthrography. Our study showed that clinical examination could give an accurate clinical diagnosis in 88.35% of cases and arthrography in 76.89%. No complication from arthrography was found. Injury occurred most commonly between 21 and 30 years of age and was more common to the right knee than the left. The sport in which most injuries occurred was football.