The role of ultrasound in medico-legal assessment of blunt knee trauma
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52692/1857-0011.2025.2-82.45Keywords:
Blunt trauma, knee trauma, tendon tear, ligament tear, meniscal injury, post-traumatic bursitis, medico- legal assessmentAbstract
This article explores the role of musculoskeletal ultrasound in the medico-legal evaluation of blunt knee trauma, emphasizing its practical advantages within forensic practice. Drawing on recent scientific literature, the study outlines the diagnostic potential of ultrasound in detecting ligament, tendon, meniscal, and bursal injuries - types of damage that often go unnoticed through conventional imaging. Ultrasound proves to be a non-invasive, accessible, and dynamic method, particularly valuable in cases where advanced imaging is either unavailable or contraindicated. The findings underline the relevance of ultrasound as a supportive diagnostic tool in the objective forensic assessment of blunt injuries to the knee joint.
References
Afandiyeva, M.A., Janbachishov, Q.S. Baker’s cyst. In: Azerbaijan Medical Journal. 2004, nr. 1, pp. 125– 127.
Alves, T.I. et al. US of the knee: Scanning techniques, pitfalls, and pathologic conditions. Radiographics. 2016, nr. 6 (36), pp. 1759–1775.
Bartoszewicz, M. Dynamic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute anterior cruciate ligament injury – a case report. Journal of Ultrasonography. 2021, nr. 85 (21), pp. e182–e185.
Bianchi, S. et al. Ultrasound of the joints. European Radiology. 2002, nr. 1 (12), pp. 56–61.
Bonnefoy, O. et al. Acute knee trauma: Role of ultrasound. European Radiology. 2006, nr. 11 (16), pp. 2542–2548.
Chambers, G., Kraft, J., Kingston, K. The role of ultrasound as a problem-solving tool in the assessment of paediatric musculoskeletal injuries. Ultrasound. 2019, nr. 1 (27), pp. 6–19.
Chatra, P.S. Bursae around the knee joints. Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging. 2012, nr. 1 (22), pp. 27–30.
Chen, Y.J.Y.J. et al. Integration of Anterior and Posterior Ultrasonography for Comprehensive Anterior Cruciate Ligament Visualization: A Novel Approach. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. 2025, nr. 5 (51), pp. 896–902.
Dai, H. et al. Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in assessing meniscal injury: meta-analysis of prospective studies. Journal of Orthopaedic Science. 2015, nr. 4 (20), pp. 675–681.
Gage, B.E. et al. Epidemiology of 6.6 Million Knee Injuries Presenting to United States Emergency Departments From 1999 Through 2008. Academic Emergency Medicine. 2012, nr. 4 (19), pp. 378–385.
Ghosh, N. et al. Comparing Point-of-care-ultrasound (POCUS) to MRI for the Diagnosis of Medial Compartment Knee Injuries. Journal of Medical Ultrasound. 2017, nr. 3 (25), pp. 167–172.
Grassi, W., Filippucci, E., Busilacchi, P. Musculoskeletal ultrasound. Best Practice and Research: Clinical Rheumatology. 2004, nr. 6 (18), pp. 813–826.
Lamb, J.N., Guy, S.P. Soft tissue knee injuries. Surgery (Oxford). 2016, nr. 9 (34), pp. 453–459.
Meyer, P. et al. Imaging of the medial collateral ligament of the knee: a systematic review. Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery. 2022, nr. 12 (142), pp. 3721–3736.
Pădure, A. et al. Incidenţa pacienţilor politraumatizaţi decedaţi cu traumatisme asociate fracturilor oaselor tubulare lungi. Revista de Ştiinţe ale Sănătăţii din Moldova. 2021, nr. 26 (1), pp. 100–109.
Rasmussen, O.S. et al. Sonography in the diagnosis of acute rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee. Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. 1997, nr. Suppl 1 (23), pp. 163–167.
Reilly, J. Quadriceps and patellar tendon ruptures. The Knee: A Comprehensive Review. 2010, pp. 313–322.
Rishor-Olney, C.R., Taqi, M., Pozun, A. Prepatellar Bursitis. [accesat 18.07.2025]. Disponibil: https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557508/.
Rocha De Faria, J.L. et al. Ultrasound With Stress for Assessing Injuries to the Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligaments of the Knee. Arthroscopy Techniques. 2024, nr. 7 (13).
Siddiq, M.A.B., Rahim, M.A. Knee Pain Examined under Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography: Experience from a Community-based Rheumatology Practice – A Cross-sectional Study. The Open Rheumatology Journal. 2023, nr. 1 (17).
Simonetti, I. et al. Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Diagnosis of Isolated Tear of the Accessory Soleus Tendon: A Case Report and Review of the Literatures. Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports. 2020, nr. 2 (10), pp. 84–87.
Singh, K.S., Jayachandran, S. A comparative study on the diagnostic utility of ultrasonography with conventional radiography and computed tomography scan in detection of zygomatic arch and mandibular fractures. Contemporary clinical dentistry. 2014, nr. 2 (5), pp. 166–9.
Sudoł-Szopińska, I. et al. Ultrasound in Arthritis. Radiologic Clinics of North America. 2017, nr. 5 (55), pp. 985–996.
Tertîșnîi, L., Pădure, A. Rolul investigațiilor imagistice în evaluarea medico-legală a traumelor cranio- cerebrale. Buletinul Academiei de Ştiinţe a Moldovei. Ştiinţe Medicale. 2017, nr. 55 (3), pp. 322–326.
Xiao, P.X., Hong, L.C., Bin, Z. Ultrasonography for meniscal injuries in knee joint: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2016, nr. 10 (56), pp. 1179–1187.
Yablon, C.M., Melville, D.M., Jacobson, J.A. Ultrasound of the knee. In: American Journal of Roentgenology. 2014, nr. 3 (202),
Zubi, Y. et al. Arthtoscopy of the knee-joint injuries. Вестник КазНМУ. 2015, nr. 2, pp. 305–308.
Downloads
Published
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
