Reading an MRI Knee Surgery

Dear Art Lover,

     Painting is taking up most of my time these days as I try to prepare for an operation on my knee that will require a six-MONTH rehabilitation!  I finally found a specialist who told me more than “Do whatever you want to do.”  This one told me before he even saw the MRI (resonata magnetic it is called in Italian), but after his physical examination of my knees, that I have a torn ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament), the ligament in the center of the knee that holds the lower leg onto the upper leg.  The doctor told me that he will not know when he may operate until January, but recommended that I not travel so much, but try to keep the quad muscles from atrophy, as they will be needed a lot during rehab (and naturally later).  He said that the pain I feel is from all of the other muscles trying to do the work they are not designed for, which is the work of the ACL.

MRI - right knee profile, heart (femur bone) and triangle (tibia) shapes!

     Like most people, the doctor’s visit and explanation made sense while I was there, but now I have my doubts. So, I am posting the images of the right knee MRI that my doc told me were “the telling ones.”  I took pictures of his laptop screen for each image in which he stopped to explain something.  Then when I got home I went through the images on my CD of the MRI and found the images that matched the ones I snapped. 

     I do not know if this helps you if you ever find yourself with this injury, but I know that I have a problem, but oddly am convinced that two falls created TWO problem sections in the knee. Anyway, the head on shot, I show you last.  The doctor explained that the dark areas at the top of the tibia (lower leg) bone indicate that there is starting to be some bad news happening there.  I cannot remember what word (in Italian) that he used, so I do not want to be dramatic and say “deterioration” or “decay” or something.  But I have pain on the inter side mostly, which is where the impact was during my second fall last March.  Pain there has never gone away.

     The rest of the images are the knee in profile.  The doc explained that the ACL is the diagonal uphill (when reading left to right) mid-grey colored area that I point out with the red arrows.  The white edging line underneath the ligament is broken, which tells him that the ACL is broken.  Oh, I copied the photos side by side just in case my added red arrows were to cover up something important.

     Anyway, this may not be of interest to you, but I find that while I studied and taught anatomy for sculptors, I do not know much about the internal body.  All I know is that what I did this entire year after my two falls is not working.  I hope that I really do need this surgery since it seems the way that I am headed.  And I do not know what else TO DO.  If you see something in this MRI that you question or know something about, by all means write to me.  I am making a list of questions for my doctor here whenever I get to see him next.  I believe in sharing information if it makes another person’s life easier or better.  Thanks!  Tomorrow, some art posting – I hope!

Peace,

Kelly

P.S.  Please check out the “Raccolta e Regalo” sale I am having on selected artworks.. good through Dec 31, 2016.  http://www.borsheimarts.com/SaleArt2016-LaRaccoltaeIlRegalo.htm

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MRI right knee in profile - torn ACL

Apparently they do different lighting to find as much as possible.

Front view shows dark damaged areas at top of tibia