Female, 45 years old. Severe knee pain in SLE patient on chronic corticosteroids. Inability to bear weight. Due to the patient's body habitus, the high-resolution coil could not be used. An alternative coil was used instead, which results in slightly suboptimal image quality. Furthermore, several images are limited by artifact.MENISCI: There is an obliquely oriented tear involving the junction of the body and posterior horn of the medial meniscus, extending from the femoral articular surface through the peripheral fibers of the meniscus. This is best seen on images 27 and 28 of series 5 and 7. Poorly defined intermediate signal intensity in the adjacent soft tissues may reflect extrusion of mucoid material. There is slight medial extrusion of the body of the medial meniscus. The anterior horn of the medial meniscus as well as the lateral meniscus appear intact.ARTICULAR CARTILAGE AND BONE: Evaluation of the articular cartilage is limited on this study, but subjectively there is thinning of the articular cartilage of the patellofemoral and medial tibiofemoral compartments. There are also small tricompartmental osteophytes. Bone marrow signal intensity is normal. We see no findings to suggest osteonecrosis.LIGAMENTS: The anterior cruciate ligament appears intact, although slightly thickened, which may represent mucoid degeneration. The PCL and collateral ligaments are intact. EXTENSOR MECHANISM: The extensor mechanism is intact.ADDITIONAL
1.Limited study as described above.2.Normal appearing bone marrow without avascular necrosis.3.Mild osteoarthritis.4.Tear of the medial meniscus as described above.5.Small collections of fluid signal intensity along the popliteus probably represent ganglia with nonspecific edema in the adjacent soft tissues.