MR of the ankle joint
Anatomy of the ankle joint
The ankle joint is an extremely complex mechanism. In simple terms, it consists of two main components:
- The ankle and shin joint, which is the junction of the tibia, fibula and ankle bones. It is responsible for dorsiflexion and soleus movement.
- The ankle-foot and calcaneus joint, which is the joint between the ankle bone and the calcaneus and scaphoid bone. It allows the movement of sole flexion, dorsiflexion, inversion, conversion, adduction and inversion of the foot.
The ankle joint is also equipped with joint capsules and numerous ligaments that, along with the muscles and tendons of the lower leg, work together to cope with the challenges the joint is exposed to during daily activities.
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has opened new horizons in the diagnosis and treatment of many musculoskeletal disorders of the ankle joint. This is because it makes it possible to show abnormalities in the bones and soft tissues before they become apparent with other imaging methods.
What can an examination of the ankle joint using MRI show?
The excellent soft tissue contrast resolution, non-invasive nature and multifaceted capabilities of MR imaging make MR imaging particularly valuable for detection and evaluation:
- disorders of the soft tissue structures of the ligaments of the ankle joint (e.g., entrapment, rupture, dislocation, anterolateral compression, tarsal sinus syndrome, compression neuropathies, etc.).
- the severity of a number of musculoskeletal infections, including cellulitis, soft tissue abscesses, osteomyelitis and osteomyelitis,
- a range of bone abnormalities, such as bone contusions, overload and insufficiency fractures, osteochondral fractures, bone necrosis, and transient bone marrow edema.
What are the indications for an ankle MRI?
An MRI of the ankle joint may be necessary for a number of complaints reported by the patient, including:
- Ankle joint pain,
- mechanical injury,
- inflammation,
- signs of damage to muscles, cartilage, joint capsules or ligaments,
- rheumatoid arthritis,
- degenerative changes.
What are the contraindications to an ankle MRI?
A contraindication to performing an ankle examination using MRI is the presence of electronic medical devices or metal components with ferromagnetic properties in the patient’s body, such as a pacemaker, orthopedic screws, insulin pump, etc.
At the same time, it should be noted that each element that has been implanted in the patient’s body has the appropriate certificates with information on what material it is made of. Currently, a large number of implants are not a contraindication to examination in the high electromagnetic field found in MRI, because they are created from alloys of materials that do not show ferromagnetic properties, such as titanium.