ABSTRACT
This review article describes the postoperative magnetic resonance (MR) findings relating
to surgery after tendon repair, ligament repair, and Morton's neuroma resection. The
normal postoperative tendon is commonly thickened, showing signal changes that are
most pronounced 3 to 6 months after surgery. Two years after tendon suture, the signal
intensity should be low on T2-weighted images. The focus of the postoperative MR imaging
after ankle repair is to detect the normal condition after the various surgical procedures
(e.g., Broström, Watson-Jones, Evans, or Chrisman-Snook). The repaired ligament has
to be visible, low signal intense on T2-weighted MR images, and the shape should be
homogeneous. A high rate (26%) of so-called Morton's neuroma recurrences is seen in
asymptomatic individuals after Morton's neuroma resection. Postoperatively, intermetatarsal
bursitis MR abnormalities are more commonly encountered in symptomatic intermetatarsal
spaces than in asymptomatic intermetatarsal spaces.
KEYWORDS
MR imaging - foot and ankle - postoperative MR imaging - artifacts - ankle - ligaments
- tendons - MR - peripheral nerves
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Marco ZanettiM.D.
Department of Radiology, Orthopedic University Hospital Balgrist
Forchstrasse 340, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
Email: marco.zanetti@balgrist.ch
