Efficacy of MRI in primary care for patients with knee complaints due to trauma: protocol of a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial (TACKLE trial)

Table 1 Types of findings on MRI and related advice

Positive findings (advice for referral to orthopaedic surgeon)	Equivocal findings (advice based on radiologist’s judgement)	Negative findings (advice for treatment in primary care)
Pigmented villonodular synovitis	Synovitis, bursitis, hoffitis, any other cyst	Effusion, Baker’s cyst, ganglion, plica, subcutaneous oedema
	Lesions of the m. quadriceps tendon, the patellar tendon or the patellar retinacula
Osteochondrosis dissecans fracture	Lesions of the trochlea or patellar alignment anomalies	Bone bruise or bone marrow oedema
Meniscal tears*		Parameniscal cyst, meniscal extrusion, discoid meniscus, isolated lesions of meniscal ligaments or meniscal capsular lesions
Partial or complete anterior or posterior cruciate ligament tears		Mucoid degeneration of the cruciate ligaments
Grade III injury (complete rupture) of the medial collateral ligament or the posterolateral corner		Grade I and II injury of the medial collateral ligament or the posterolateral corner
Grade IV chondromalacia		Grade I to III chondromalacia

*A meniscal tear is defined as an abnormal shape of the meniscus OR as a high signal intensity unequivocally contacting the surface of the meniscus. The latter must be seen on at least 2 adjacent slices in one plane.

ISSN: 1471-2474