General information to help you prepare for a conversation with your clinician.
You open the report, find a word like tear or degeneration, and start searching. Soon you’ve got six tabs open and less idea of what it means for you. Start with the language. Then take the bigger question back to your clinician: which finding actually explains what you’re feeling?
One question to bring with you“Which finding in this report do you think is causing my symptoms, and why?”
The one rule to remember
A finding on a scan is not the same as the cause of your pain. Many things that show up on MRI are also present in people with no symptoms, and the number goes up with age. Your surgeon’s job is to connect what the scan shows with what you feel and what the exam finds. The report alone cannot do that.
Common terms
- Tear (partial or full thickness)
- A break in a tendon, ligament or cartilage pad. Partial means part of the thickness is torn; full thickness means all the way through. Size and location matter more than the word itself.
- Degeneration, degenerative change
- Wear and tear. Often normal for your age. Different from an injury.
- Tendinosis or tendinopathy
- A tendon that has changed structure from overuse or age, without necessarily being torn.
- Effusion
- Extra fluid in a joint. It tells you the joint is irritated, not why.
- Bone marrow edema (or bone bruise)
- Fluid-like signal in the bone, often from a recent injury or stress. It usually settles over weeks to months.
- Chondromalacia or cartilage loss
- Softening or thinning of the smooth cartilage lining the joint. Grades describe how deep it goes.
- Osteophytes
- Bone spurs, a common sign of arthritis.
- Impingement
- Tissue getting pinched during movement. It is partly a description of how the joint behaves, so it depends on the exam too.
- Baker’s cyst
- A fluid-filled swelling behind the knee, often a sign that something else is irritating the joint.
- Incidental finding
- Something the radiologist noticed that is probably unrelated to your complaint.
What should get your attention
- Words your surgeon underlines, such as “complete,” “displaced” or “unstable.”
- Findings that match your symptoms in the same spot.
- Any wording about a mass or an unexpected finding you were not told about. Ask your doctor to go over it with you.
If you are confused, bring the report to your appointment and ask your clinician to point to the line that matters for your decision.
Quick answers
Is a tear on my MRI always painful?
No. Tears and degenerative changes are common in people with no symptoms, which is why matching the scan to your pain matters.
Why does my report sound worse than my doctor said?
Radiologists list everything they see, including minor and age-related findings. Your clinician decides what is relevant to you.
Should I get the images or just the report?
The images. The report is one reader’s summary. A second opinion works from the images.
Want a surgeon to look at your scan?
Second Look is a written opinion from an orthopedic surgeon on the X-ray, MRI or CT you already have. It is opening soon. Join the free waitlist and we will email you when it opens in your state.
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