DIAGNOSTICS OF HOFFA`S FAT PAD PATHOLOGIES USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
Abstract
Knee pain affects about 25% of the adult population, with the number of visits to the doctor worldwide reaching 4 million per year. Often the source of pain is the anterior compartment of the joint, where the Hoffa`s fat pad is of greatest diagnostic interest. The Hoffa`s pad is the largest of all the fat pads of the knee joint, it is well innervated and richly supplied with blood. Lesion to the Hoffa`s fat pad is common and is manifested by persistent pain in the anterior compartment of the knee joint, reducing the mobility and abilities of patients. In the diagnosis of lesions of the Hoffa`s fat pad, the role of magnetic resonance imaging is generally recognized, allowing to assess the nature, volume and prevalence of the lesion, identify associated changes, and plan treatment tactics. In this article, by summarizing literary data and the authors’ own experience, given the recommendations about the optimal tactics of magnetic resonance imaging of the knee joint and Hoffa`s pad, the most significant pathologies in clinical practice are considered, their semiotics are highlighted, and aspects of differential diagnostics are considered.
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