DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 9 (UPI) -- A Duke University study suggests radiologists can make more accurate preoperative diagnoses of knee cartilage damage by using four radiologic "signs."
Using the four signs makes interpreting MRIs with higher degrees of accuracy easier for any radiologist, regardless of their level of expertise, said Dr. Keith Harper, lead author of the research.
During the study, reviewers correctly identified 17 (89 percent) of 19 radial meniscal tears using the four radiologic signs -- the truncated triangle, cleft, marching cleft and the ghost meniscus. Each sign describes a unique type of tear and damage to the cartilage of the knee.
Although some types of meniscal tears can be repaired, Harper said radial tears are significant in that they frequently are irreparable.
"Using these four radiologic 'signs' increased the prospective characterization and sensitivity for the detection of radial tears from 37 percent to 89 percent," Harper said.
The study appeared in a recent issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
