Stress fractures (MRI knee)

Case contributed by Dai Roberts
Diagnosis probable

Presentation

Ongoing knee pain, physiotherapy not helping.

Patient Data

Age: 65 years
mri

Step-like transverse fractures through the distal femoral metaphysis and proximal tibial metaphysis with marked surrounding bone marrow edema. The tibial fracture extends across the entire transverse width of the posterior tibia. 

Degenerative horizontal longitudinal medial meniscus tear.

Case Discussion

Stress fractures tend to have a step-like appearance, as opposed to straight fractures in acute injuries.  The T1-weighted sequence is best for identifying fracture lines. 

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