71-year-old female patient with lateral meniscal pain and joint laxity status post twisting injury four weeks ago. Evaluate for left lateral meniscal tear. Due to the patient's large body habitus, the high definition knee coil could not be used. An alternative coil was used instead which results in suboptimal image quality.MENISCI: There is intrasubstance signal within the lateral meniscus indicating degeneration, particularly within the root of the anterior horn which appears thickened. The remainder of the anterior horn appears flattened and there is slight lateral extrusion of the body of the lateral meniscus. There is intrasubstance degeneration of the medial meniscus with fraying/mild degenerative tearing of the inner fibers of the posterior horn, but we see no findings suggesting an unstable tear.ARTICULAR CARTILAGE AND BONE: There is tricompartmental cartilage degeneration with scattered small full-thickness defects. Subjectively, there is narrowing of the lateral tibiofemoral compartment likely due to diffuse cartilage degeneration.LIGAMENTS: There is intermediate signal intensity within the distal fibers of the anterior cruciate ligament which may reflect degeneration or prior sprain. The posterior cruciate ligament is intact. The popliteus muscle/tendon is intact. The collateral ligaments are intact. There is a 1 cm focus of signal void posterior to the proximal attachment of the fibulofemoral ligament likely representing calcium hydroxyapatite deposition of questionable current clinical significance, or less likely a loose body.EXTENSOR MECHANISM: The extensor mechanism is intact.ADDITIONAL
1. Degeneration and mild degenerative tearing of the menisci as described above; we see no unstable tear.2. Tricompartmental cartilage degeneration.3. Mild increased signal intensity in the distal fibers of the anterior cruciate ligament may represent degeneration or mild sprain.4. Focus of calcium hydroxyapatite adjacent to the lateral collateral ligament is of questionable clinical significance.5. Joint effusion, small Baker's cyst, and other findings as described above.