Definite synovitis was present in the majority of knees with or without effusion with the commonest sites being posterior to the PCL and in the suprapatellar recess. Joint effusion as measured on PD fs images does not only represent effusion but also synovial thickening.

Stabilization and fusion of the lumbar spine may be performed by using various anterior and posterior surgical techniques and a wide range of devices, including screws, spinal wires, artificial ligaments, vertebral cages, and artificial disks. Because spinal procedures are increasingly common, such devices are seen more and more often in everyday radiologic practice. For evaluation of the postoperative spine, radiography is the modality most commonly used. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging may be useful alternatives, but MR imaging of the postoperative spine is vulnerable to metal-induced artifacts. For an accurate postoperative assessment of spinal instrumentation and of any complications, it is important that radiologists be familiar with the normal imaging appearances of the lumbar spine after stabilization, fusion, and disk replacement with various techniques and devices.

No abstract

Objective Painful knee osteoarthritis (KOA) has been associated with joint inflammation. There is, however, little literature correlating signs of localized inflammation with contrast‐enhanced (CE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of synovium. This study examined the relationship between clinical and functional markers of localized knee inflammation and CE MRI–based synovial scores. Methods Patients with symptomatic KOA were enrolled into the randomized, double‐blind, Vitamin D Evaluation in Osteoarthritis (VIDEO) trial. In this cross‐sectional substudy, associations between validated MRI‐based semiquantitative synovial scores of the knee and the following markers of inflammation were investigated: self‐reported pain and stiffness, effusion, warmth, joint line tenderness, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, radiographic severity, and functional ability tests. Results A total of 107 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria of complete data and were included in the analysis. Significant associations were found between the number of regions affected by synovitis and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain, effusion, and joint line tenderness. Each additional region affected by synovitis was associated with an increase in WOMAC pain (1.82 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.05, 3.58], P = 0.04), and the association with extent of medial synovitis was particularly strong (3.21 [95% CI 0.43, 5.99], P = 0.02). Extent of synovitis was positively associated with effusion (odds ratio 1.69 [95% CI 1.37, 2.08], P < 0.01) and negatively associated with joint line tenderness (relative risk 0.87 [95% CI 0.84, 0.90], P < 0.01). Conclusion There is a strong positive association between synovitis and self‐reported patient pain and clinically detectable effusion. Nonoperative treatments directed at management of inflammation and future trials targeting the synovial tissue for treating KOA should consider these 2 factors as potential inclusion criteria.