The two best MR signs of repeat tear of the postoperative meniscus were the presence of a line and fluid within the line extending to an articular surface.

Trauma protocol-driven pelvic radiography is a necessary and cost-effective means of identifying acute pelvic injury in all trauma patients regardless of clinical presentation.

OBJECTIVE. Thepurpose of ourstudywastocompare thecost-effectiveness of bilateral oblique radiography with that ofCT for excluding C7â€"Tl injury in trauma patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Usinga historical cohortmodel,we retrospectivelystudied two distinct groups of trauma patients. In the first group, which included 196 patients, CT was performed to show C7â€"Tlanatomy when this region was not adequately revealed on initial three-view cervical spine radiography. In the second group, which included 129 pa tients, routine three-view radiography was complemented by bilateral oblique views. If these five views failed to adequately reveal C7â€"Tlanatomy, CT was then performed to show the cervicothoracic junction. Using Medicare reimbursement data, we then compared the cost-ef fectiveness of CT with that of oblique radiography in terms of cost per cervical spine imaged completelyto the levelof C7â€"Tl. RESULTS. In thefirstgroup, 50 (26%)of 196patients underwent CT whenC7â€"Tl anatomy was not adequately revealed on routine three-view cervical spine radiography. In the sec ond group, only 17 ( I 3%) of the 129 patients required CT when five-view radiography failed to adequatelyrevealC7â€"Tl anatomy.This differencewas statisticallysignificant(p < .01). The cost per completely imaged cervical spine was $92.00 when bilateral oblique radiographs were routinely obtained, compared with $1 16.28 per completely imaged cervical spine when theseviews were not obtained. CONCLUSION. Because bilateral obliqueradiography appears to becost-effective forthe exclusion of cervical spine injuries, we suggest that it be performed routinely.