METHOD FOR FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF KNEE JOINT AND CRUCIATE LIGAMENTS IN MOTION Russian patent published in 2025 - IPC A61B5/55 

FIELD: medical science.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to medicine, namely to X-ray diagnostics and traumatology, can be used for assessing the state of knee joint structures. Patient is placed in the MRI scanner in a prone position with feet first. Multichannel flexible radio-frequency coil for joint examination is fixed on the side of a knee joint along its medial and lateral surfaces. Centre of investigation is positioned at level of joint space of knee joint. Knee joint is examined in a neutral position wherein the patient’s leg is extended at the knee joint with no joint movements. Additional localiser of the knee joint is delivered along the central structures of the joint. MRI of the knee joint is performed in the oblique sagittal plane, oriented along the anterior cruciate ligament, with a pulse sequence – a short single fast spin echo with half Fourier transform/SSFSE/SSTSE/HASTE, with knee bending and straightening, wherein the scanning time is 10 to 32 s, during which 2-4 “flexion-extension” cycles are performed in knee joint.

EFFECT: method allows to assess the biomechanics of the knee joint, the structure and function of the cruciate ligaments in the entire "tension-relaxation" cycle, to identify ruptures affecting the stability of the joint, to assess the complications of the plastic surgery of the cruciate ligaments and their effect on the movements in the joint, that determines the need for arthroscopy and the extent of the surgical intervention by examining the knee joint in motion with the help of MRI.

1 cl, 12 dwg, 2 ex