Thursday, March 20, 2008

MRI Overused for Knee Replacement Surgery

MRI Overused in Knee Replacement Surgery

March 06, 2008 - MedPage Today - By Crystal Phend, Staff Writer, MedPage Today

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6 -- For most arthritis patients, X-ray is sufficient to determine the need for arthroplasty, researchers said here.

Action Points

• Explain to interested patients that the authors suggest that X-ray is sufficient in most cases to determine who needs knee surgery for osteoarthritis.

• Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented as a poster at a conference. The data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More than 60% of patients having total knee replacement for osteoarthritis had had an MRI ordered within two years of the surgery, according to a small observational study presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting.

Fewer than half had had radiographs taken before the MRI was done, reported Wayne Goldstein, M.D., of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues.

"There is no or minimal benefit to MRI in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee that is obviously apparent on weight-bearing and skyline patella-view X-rays," Dr. Goldstein said.

(Read More)

---------------------------------------------------

Rick Kaselj - rkaselj@HealingThroughMovement.com

Healing Through Movement - www.HealingThroughMovement.com

Fitness & Rehabilitation / Presentations & Publications

---------------------------------------------------------

No comments: