Abstract
The initial diagnostic evaluation of the painful pediatric knee consists of plain radiographs. Oftentimes, this is all that is needed for the diagnostic work up. In the case of suspected significant soft tissue or occult osteochondral injury, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is typically the next step in the evaluation. Computed tomography may be helpful to visualize complex or intraarticular fractures. Ultrasound is gaining popularity in the visualization of many soft tissue structures, especially given its ability to provide dynamic visualization. Bone scintigraphy is nonspecific and has historically been used in sports medicine to detect occult stress fractures, though it is now less commonly utilized due to the superior tissue and contrast resolution and widespread availability of MRI. Laboratory evaluation can be considered in cases of fatigue injury, menstrual dysfunction with stress fractures, concern for inflammatory arthritis, and Lyme disease in young patients.
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Ichesco, I.K., Solomon, M., Briskin, S., Leschied, J.R. (2021). Testing – What to Do and When. In: Coleman, N. (eds) Common Pediatric Knee Injuries. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55870-3_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55870-3_4
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