MRI of osteochondral injuries of the knee and ankle in the athlete

This article focuses on imaging diagnosis of acute and chronic osteochondral injury using current clinical MRI techniques. Chondral and osteochondral injuries of the knee and ankle are frequent causes of pain in the injured athlete. Failure to diagnose them can lead to persistent symptoms and long-term disability. With the ability to directly demonstrate articular cartilage, MRI is the most sensitive noninvasive technique for identifying osteochondral injuries, but requires careful attention to image acquisition techniques, understanding of the MRI appearance of normal and injured cartilage, and a targeted examination of the joint based on patterns of soft-tissue injury.