The Huffington Post—June 6, 2009
He was directed by a friend to see Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle, MD, assistant attending orthopaedic surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery. Dr. Della Valle suspected that the ligament that prevents the shin bone (tibia) from sliding backwards, the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), was deficient and was causing the pain and popping noises as he walked.
The diagnosis was challenging because of the partial knee replacement. To confirm his suspicions, Dr. Della Valle sent his patient for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging examination, in the Department of Radiology and Imaging at Hospital for Special Surgery.
"The standard x-rays that had been taken in the past were masking the real problem. An x-ray cannot image soft tissue such as the PCL," stated Dr. Hollis Potter, Chief, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, at Hospital for Special Surgery. "The MRI Division has worked on the development of MRI protocols that allow us to capture images of the soft tissue around a total joint replacement. This technique helped us determine that the PCL was, in fact, deficient. In the past it was impossible to image soft tissue using MRI, because the metal in replacement hardware would negatively interact with the high powered imaging magnets. Our research and new techniques have helped to change that fact."
After the PCL deficiency was diagnosed, the patient was scheduled for surgery for a total knee replacement. The day after surgery the patient was up and walking and felt much better. The popping noises had stopped and after only four weeks he had no pain. The total knee replacement allowed the patient to return to his normal life and level of activity.
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