Frequency and topography of lesions of the femoro-tibial cartilage at spiral CT arthrography of the knee: a study in patients with normal knee radiographs and without history of trauma

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and topography of cartilage lesions involving the femoro-tibial joints in patients with normal knee radiographs and without a remembered history of trauma. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: A radiologist retrospectively reviewed the dual-detector spiral CT knee arthrograms performed in 209 consecutive patients (mean age 37.6 years) with normal knee radiographs. Images were analyzed for the presence, grade (Noyes classification system) and location of cartilage lesions, the location being designated by dividing each articular surface into a grid of 16 parts. RESULTS: Fifty-three percent of knees had cartilage lesions of grade 2A or higher that involved articular surfaces to a variable extent: lateral tibial plateau (31%), medial femoral condyle (27%), medial tibial plateau (14%) and lateral femoral condyle (5%). Areas of the posterior half of the lateral tibial plateau and of the inner half of the medial femoral condyle were statistically more frequently involved than their counterparts (P<0.0001). The bare area of the medial tibial plateau, but not that of the lateral tibial plateau, was more frequently involved than the corresponding meniscus-covered area (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Cartilage lesions of grade 2A or higher, detected at spiral CT arthrography in 53% of the knees, predominantly involved the posterior half of the lateral tibial plateau, the inner half of the medial femoral condyle and the bare area of the medial tibial plateau.