Knee dislocations: a magnetic resonance imaging study correlated with clinical and operative findings

Our objectives were to determine retrospectively the prevalence, patients’ demographics, mechanism of injury, combination of torn ligaments, associated intra-articular and extra-articular injuries, fractures, bone bruises, femoral–tibial alignment and neurovascular complications of knee dislocations as evaluated by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

From 17,698 consecutive knee examinations by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over a 6-year period, 20 patients with knee dislocations were identified. The medical records of these patients were subsequently reviewed for relevant clinical history, management and operative findings.

The prevalence of knee dislocations was 0.11% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.06–0.16)]. There were 16 male patients and four female patients, with ages ranging from 15 years to 76 years (mean 31 years). Fifteen patients had low-velocity injuries (75%), of which 11 were amateur sports related and four were from falls. Four patients (20%) had suffered high-velocity trauma (motor vehicle accidents). One patient had no history available. Anatomic alignment was present at imaging in 16 patients (80%). Eighteen patients had three-ligament tears, two had four-ligament tears. The four-ligament tears occurred with low-velocity injuries. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) were torn in every patient; the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) was torn in 50%, and the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in 60%. Intra-articular injuries included meniscal tears (five in four patients), fractures (eight in seven patients), bone bruises (15 patients), and patellar retinaculum tears (eight partial, two complete). The most common extra-articular injury was a complete biceps femoris tendon tear (five, 25%). There were two popliteal tendon tears and one iliotibial band tear. One patient had received a vascular injury following a motor vehicle accident (MVA) and had been treated prior to undergoing MRI. Bone bruises (unrelated to fractures), four-ligament tears, biceps femoris tears, and popliteus tendon tears were encountered only in the low-velocity knee dislocations. Twelve were treated surgically, five conservatively, and three had been lost to follow-up. The biceps femoris tendon was repaired in every patient who was treated surgically.

Knee dislocations occurred more commonly in low-velocity injuries than in high-velocity injuries, predominantly affecting amateur athletes. Biceps femoris tendon tears were the most common extra-articular injury requiring surgery. Neurovascular injury (5%) was uncommon. At imaging, femoral–tibial alignment was anatomic in the majority of patients.