The Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessing Instability After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructive Surgery in Males

Abstract
Background: The most commonly reconstructed ligament in the knee is the anterior cruciate ligament. Clinical evaluation of ACL reconstructions can be difficult, and MR imaging plays an important role in assessing instability of the knee joint after ACL reconstruction.
Aim of Study: To determine the value of magnetic reso-nance imaging in assessing instability after anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery in males.
Patients and Methods: This prospective study included 30 male patients with reconstructed and repaired anterior cruciate ligaments of the knee, all of them were males. Their ages ranged from 19 to 58 years old with mean age of 30 years old.
Results: MRI is ideally suited for the evaluation of insta-bility in the post-operative ACL patient. Graft integrity and position can be determined, and clinically challenging diag-noses such as graft impingement or hardware failure are readily diagnosed with MRI. With the increasing prevalence of arthroscopic repair of the ACL, the importance of MRI in the evaluation of this patient population will increase.
Conclusion: We conclude that MRI of the knee is valuable in assessing instability of the knee joint of the post-operative ACL reconstruction patient. MRI provides a non-invasive modality for evaluation of ACL graft fiber integrity and post-operative complications. ACL graft complications such as abnormal tunnel positioning, roof impingement, partial and complete graft tears, arthrofibrosis and tunnel synovial cysts, are reliably assessed by MRI.