Empty notch sign (anterior cruciate ligament tear)

Last revised by Shruti Balasubramanian on 8 Dec 2024

Empty notch sign is a direct sign of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear/avulsion at its femoral attachment. It denotes a fluid signal at the expected ACL attachment site at the intercondylar notch (fossa) on axial and coronal fluid-sensitive MR images.

The proximal ACL is the second most common site of injury after the midsubstance. Hence, close scrutiny of the attachments of the ACL is warranted.

Cases and figures

  • Case 1: MCL injury with ACL tear
:

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.