ArticleThe Iowa orthopaedic journal2018
Overuse of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Moderate to Severe Osteoarthritis.
Article in The Iowa orthopaedic journal, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Medical overuse of therapies and diagnostics in rheumatology.Clinical rheumatology · 2021Pooled it
- Unworn cartilage in total knee arthroplasty strongly deviates from 2 mm: MRI, robotic-assisted and ruler assessment.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2025Article
- Is Magnetic Resonance Imaging Overused Among Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty?Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2024Article
- MRI use leading up to total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective cohort study.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2024Article
- Knee osteoarthritis: disease burden, available treatments, and emerging options.Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease · 2024Review
- The Rationality to Requesting in-ward Magnetic Resonance Imaging Investigation.Journal of biomedical physics & engineering · 2023Article
- Are patients with preoperative synovitis suitable for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty? Magnetic resonance imaging evidence from a retrospective cohort study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2023Article
- Is MRI Overutilized for Evaluation of Knee Pain in Veterans?The journal of knee surgery · 2023Article
- Protocol for the Request of Knee Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Elderly Patients with Suspected Osteoarthritis: Reduction in Test Requests and Impact on Management and Diagnosis.Revista brasileira de ortopedia · 2022Article
- Financial Health Literacy and the Shared Decision-Making Process in Healthcare.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Unnecessary magnetic resonance imaging of the knee: How much is it really costing the NHS?Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2021Review
- The utility of MRI scans for a painful knee in the elderly patient.Irish journal of medical science · 2021Article
- Improving osteoarthritis management in primary healthcare: results from a quasi-experimental study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2021Article
- Does the Conservative Non-pharmacological Management of Knee Osteoarthritis in Switzerland Reflect the Clinical Guidelines? A Survey Among General Practitioners, Rheumatologists, and Orthopaedic Surgeons.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2021Article
- Reliability and Accuracy of MRI in Orthopedics: A Survey of Its Use and Perceived Limitations.Clinical medicine insights. Arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: MRI in the evaluation of end-stage knee joint osteoarthritis (OA) is usually unnecessary when radiographic and clinical evidence of gonarthrosis is clear. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of MRI scans ordered in patients with radiographically obvious gonarthrosis and to examine the characteristics of health care providers who ordered these imaging studies. Methods: We retrospectively identified 164 patients diagnosed with moderate to severe OA who were referred for total knee replacement (TKA) over a one-year period. The percentage of patients who had an MRI scan with or without X-ray, within the preceding 3 months prior to referral, were calculated. Subgroups were analyzed to identify characteristics that may influence the decision to order an MRI, including K-L grade, provider type, level of training, and practice location. Results: Of 145 patients, 19 (13.1%) presented with an MRI scan. Between the number of MRI scans ordered, there was a significant difference when comparing physicians versus non-physicians, with physicians ordering less MRI scans (p=0.018). There was a significant difference when comparing non-academic versus academic, with academic providers ordering less MRI scans (p=0.044). There was no significant difference with fellowship training or provider proximity to our academic institution. Conclusions: In this study, 13.1% of patients with radiographically obvious knee OA obtained an MRI prior to referral for TKA. Non-physicians and non-academic physicians were more likely to order MRI scans. Improved education for referring providers may be necessary to decrease overuse of MRI in the diagnosis of moderate to severe arthritis. Level of Evidence:
Indexed as
Identifiers
30104922PMC6047403W2562387992What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.