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O'Donoghue's triad: magnetic resonance imaging evidence

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Abstract

Objective

The objective was to search for magnetic resonance imaging evidence of medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury in knees with proven tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial meniscus; the three abnormalities that make up O'Donoghue's triad. Although the MCL injury can be unapparent clinically, knee joint stability may be compromised.

Design

The superficial portion of the MCL was evaluated on 19 MR studies of 16 knees with arthroscopically proven ACL and medial meniscal tears. MCL thicknesses were compared to those on MR images of 19 normal knees.

Patients

The injured knees were of 13 men and 3 women, ranging in age from 19 to 56 years; the normal knees were of 10 men and 9 women, ranging in age from 19 to 55 years.

Results and conclusions

The medial collateral ligaments of all injured knees were abnormal, and, as a group, they had greater thicknesses and more intraligamentous thickness variability than normal knees. The MR appearance of both ACL and medial meniscal tears served as indirect evidence of MCL injury, with irregular MCL thickening indicative of prior injury.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unified Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA

    Nogah Haramati M.D.

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, New York, USA

    Howard A. Kiernan M.D.

  3. Holy Name Radiological Associates, Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, New Jersey, USA

    H. Charles Pfaff M.D.

  4. Department of Radiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA

    Stuart J. Rubin M.D.

  5. Department of Radiology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, 177 Fort Washington Avenue, 10032, New York, NY, USA

    Ronald B. Staron M.D., Frieda Feldman M.D. & Alicia Zwass M.D.

Authors
  1. Ronald B. Staron M.D.
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  2. Nogah Haramati M.D.
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  3. Frieda Feldman M.D.
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  4. Howard A. Kiernan M.D.
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  5. H. Charles Pfaff M.D.
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  6. Stuart J. Rubin M.D.
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  7. Alicia Zwass M.D.
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Staron, R.B., Haramati, N., Feldman, F. et al. O'Donoghue's triad: magnetic resonance imaging evidence. Skeletal Radiol. 23, 633–636 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02580384

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02580384

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