We used MRI to study the lesions in a consecutive group of 64 patients with an acute trauma of the knee and normal plain radiography during the winter season. Bone bruise was present in 35 of the patients, and these were referred to subsequent MRI 4 and 12 months later. After 4 months bone bruise was still present in 69% of the patients and after 12 months in 12%. Soft tissue lesions, for example, lesion in the meniscus, ACL rupture, or MCL lesion was present in 94% of the patients with bone bruise. Interobserver agreement varied from good to excellent. Soft tissue lesions are found in almost all patients with bone bruise, and these generally resolve 4-12 months after the injury. In the patients with no bone bruise the number of ligament injuries was lower.

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic capabilities of extremity MRI (E-MRI) with high-field MRI in arthritic small joints, and to evaluate the patients' acceptance and perceptions of the two MR systems. One hundred three patients (group 1 = 28 patients with RA < 3 years, group 2 = 25 patients with reactive and psoriatic arthritis and mixed connective tissue disease, group 3 = 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) more than 3 years and group 4 = 25 patients with arthralgia) underwent dedicated E-MRI and high-field MRI of the wrist and finger joints. Coronal short tau inversion recovery and transversal 3D T1-weighted images before and after gadodiamide (Gd) were performed in both cases to outline the volume of the synovial membrane (Vsm) and to evaluate joints with enhancement, effusion, bone edema, and erosions. Investigators blinded to the clinical findings evaluated the images. Patients' compliance and acceptance of E-MRI and high-field MRI were evaluated. The median Vsm obtained on E-MRI did not differ significantly from that obtained on high-field MRI. Vsm = 1 ml (E-MRI) and 1.1 ml (high-field MRI) before Gd and Vsm = 0.1 ml (E-MRI) and 0 ml (high-field MRI) after Gd (Wilcoxon test, p > 0.05). The difference in agreement was 8% for joint enhancement, 2% for joint effusion, 3% for bone edema, and 4% for bone erosions. Of the patients, 64% preferred E-MRI due to more comfortable positioning and less claustrophobia and noise. Extremity MRI of the small arthritic joints is comparable to high-field MRI and more readily accepted than high-field MRI by this patient group.

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CT urography with its low dose of contrast medium and radiation is a useful diagnostic imaging test for investigating patients with hematuria.