Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee
Knee MRI in Casablanca
Knee MRI makes it possible to analyze the inside of the joint with no invasive procedure and no X-rays. It shows the menisci (two crescent-shaped cushions between the femur and the tibia), the cruciate and collateral ligaments, the cartilage, the tendons and the bone. It helps your doctor understand pain, locking or instability of the knee, after an injury or with age.
Duration, report and equipment
Duration
Knee MRI usually takes 15 minutes.
Report turnaround
Report within 48 hours. In an emergency, during opening hours, the report is handed over immediately.
Equipment
GE SIGNA Prime 1.5 T
When is this exam needed?
- Knee twisted during sport with a cracking sound, swelling or the knee giving way, raising suspicion of an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
- Locking or pain along the joint line (the line between the femur and the tibia) suggesting a meniscus tear.
- Collateral ligament sprain that is not improving.
- Persistent pain related to the cartilage (chondropathy) or to early osteoarthritis.
- Sudden pain in an older person, prompting a search for a fragility fracture or osteonecrosis.
- Popliteal cyst (Baker's cyst) at the back of the knee, or patellar tendon pain.
- Check after ligament reconstruction (ligamentoplasty) or meniscus surgery.
How the exam is done
In the changing room, you remove lower-body clothing if it contains metal (zipper, jeans rivets) and put on a gown. You lie on your back, feet first. The knee being examined is placed in a tube-shaped coil, slightly bent and supported by foam pads; the other leg is moved to the side. Only the lower part of the body enters the machine, and your head most often stays outside the tunnel.
The sequences follow one another with a hammering noise, reduced by headphones. Keep your leg relaxed, without tightening your thigh or moving your foot. A call button lets you reach the team at any time. Once the images have been checked, the coil is opened: you can get up and walk normally.
Preparation
- Wear comfortable bottoms with no metal, or plan to put on the gown provided.
- Remove any knee brace, hinged splint or bandage before the exam, if your doctor allows it.
- Write down the date and circumstances of the knee injury, which help the radiologist interpret the images.
Fasting
For a knee MRI, no fasting is needed: you can eat and take your treatments.
Contrast injection
Knee MRI is almost always performed without contrast agent. A gadolinium injection into a vein in the arm may be decided in cases of a mass, an infection or inflammatory arthritis.
Contraindications and precautions
- Pacemaker, defibrillator (unless MRI compatibility has been checked), neurostimulator, cochlear implant, implanted pump.
- Old vascular clip or metal fragment, particularly in the eye.
- Screws, staples or knee prosthesis: often compatible, but tell us about them because they interfere with the analysis around them.
- Insulin pump or glucose sensor (such as FreeStyle Libre): to be removed before the exam. Bring what you need to replace it or put it back afterwards.
- Current or possible pregnancy: please tell us. MRI is performed only if it is necessary, preferably after the first trimester, and without gadolinium unless absolutely necessary.
- Breastfeeding: please tell us. It is generally not necessary to stop breastfeeding after a gadolinium injection.
- Severe kidney failure if an injection is given; tattoos and permanent makeup.
- Fear of being enclosed, even though your head generally stays outside the tunnel.
Documents to bring
- Prescription specifying which knee is to be examined (right or left).
- Knee X-rays, particularly standing views, and previous MRIs.
- Surgical report if you have had ligament reconstruction or meniscus surgery.
- List of your current medications.
- Insurance or mutual insurance fund card.
Price and insurance coverage
The price of knee MRI varies depending on the side examined and on the gadolinium injection, which is almost always unnecessary for the knee.
The center accepts coverage from insurance companies and the main mutual insurance funds. You submit the coverage request to your insurer or fund yourself. For AtlantaSanad and Sanlam, the center takes care of it.
No prices are shown on this site: Kenza gives you the exact price on WhatsApp, along with the coverage procedure for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Should I wait after the injury before having a knee MRI?
The timing depends on your doctor. MRI can be done in the first few days if locking or a serious injury is suspected; otherwise, your doctor sometimes prefers to wait for the effusion (fluid in the knee) to go down and to examine the knee again. The exam is still possible even if the knee is still swollen.
Can MRI avoid an arthroscopy?
MRI makes it possible to explore the menisci, ligaments and cartilage without an invasive procedure, which often avoids an arthroscopy done only to look. Arthroscopy (exploration with a small camera) remains a surgical procedure, decided by the surgeon when treatment is needed.
I have already had cruciate ligament surgery. Is MRI useful?
Yes, it can show the condition of the graft (the new ligament), the menisci and the cartilage after the operation. Screws or staples sometimes create small distorted areas on the images, generally without preventing the exam. Bring your surgical report and your previous MRIs for comparison.
Does knee MRI show osteoarthritis?
It can show thinning of the cartilage, small lesions of the bone under the cartilage and wear of the menisci. For established osteoarthritis, a standing X-ray is often enough for follow-up. MRI is rather requested when the pain does not match the X-ray, or before certain treatment decisions.
Knee MRI in Casablanca: how much does it cost?
The price of knee MRI varies depending on the side examined and on the gadolinium injection, which is almost always unnecessary for the knee. The center accepts coverage from insurance companies and the main mutual insurance funds. No prices are shown on this site: Kenza gives you the exact price on WhatsApp, along with the coverage procedure for your situation.