Knee Pain in Elite Dancers: A Review of Imaging Findings

Introduction: Musculoskeletal injuries are a frequent occurrence in dancers of all skill levels, and the knee is the most common anatomical location. Our purpose was to identify the specific knee injuries encountered in a large cohort of dancers presenting to a tertiary-level dance injury clinic with knee pain. The relevant imaging findings of the identified knee injuries are highlighted. Methods: All new patients referred to the specialist dance injury clinic between March 2012 and February 2017 were entered into a database. Those with a knee-specific injury were selected with documentation of relevant demographic information. Clinic notes were analyzed for information related to a preceding acute traumatic event, and any relevant imaging was reviewed. This formed the basis for the review with Pubmed being utilized to identify relevant papers on the specific pathologies including etiology, imaging findings, and management. Results: Data from a cohort of 197 dancers presenting with a knee complaint were reviewed, composed of 144 women and 53 men with an average age of 28 years (range: 12–75 years). The most common knee complaint was anterior knee pain ( n = 111) followed by medial-side knee pain ( n = 42). The most frequent diagnoses included patellofemoral pain syndrome ( n = 69), medial meniscal injury ( n = 29), and Hoffa’s fat pad impingement ( n = 13). Conclusion: An anatomy--based approach with regard to the site of pain can be useful in identifying any potential abnormality. Knowledge of the radiological appearances of the most frequently seen knee abnormalities in dancers will aid in prompt and correct diagnosis.