##submission.abstract##
Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the primary non-invasive imaging modality for evaluating suspected internal derangement of the knee, including meniscal and cruciate ligament injury, with arthroscopy regarded as the diagnostic reference standard.1,4
Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in detecting medial meniscus, lateral meniscus, and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, using arthroscopy as the reference standard.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 patients with suspected internal derangement of the knee who underwent MRI followed by diagnostic arthroscopy. MRI findings were compared with arthroscopic findings for each structure.
Results: Arthroscopy confirmed medial meniscus tear in 38.7% of patients, ACL tear in 30.7%, and lateral meniscus tear in 22.7%. MRI demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy for ACL tears (94.7%), followed by medial meniscus tears (90.7%) and lateral meniscus tears (90.0%).
Conclusion: MRI offers high diagnostic accuracy for internal derangement of the knee across all evaluated structures, supporting its continued role as the primary non-invasive imaging investigation prior to arthroscopy.