MRI Knee Abnormalities Found in Many People Without Symptoms

New 2020 research study looked at 220 asymptomatic knees with MRI scans. What they found just adds more evidence to what we already know: structural ‘abnormalities’ do not cause pain in a lot of people.

Here’s the conclusion in the author’s words:

“Nearly all knees of asymptomatic adults showed abnormalities in at least one knee structure on MRI. Meniscal tears, cartilage and bone marrow lesions of the patellofemoral joint were the most common pathological findings. Bucket handle and complex meniscal tears were reported for the first time in asymptomatic knees.”

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00256-020-03394-z