Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee was the first successful application of this technique to the articular system. The advantages of magnetic resonance imaging over arthrography include its noninvasive nature, the ability to evaluate the knee in multiple planes without patient repositioning, the absence of ionizing radiation, the capacity to evaluate the joint even in the presence of joint effusion, and the ability to examine the inner structure of the meniscus as well as its surface. Although magnetic resonance imaging initially was used to study the menisci and cruciate ligaments, the technique has been expanded to include the evaluation of various conditions and all the structures of the knee joint and surrounding soft tissues.