Diagnosis
The diagnosis of M. Ahlbäck is a multi-step process. Probably the most important of these steps is the detailed doctor-patient consultation (anamnesis), in which a description of the symptoms observed by the patient can provide an initial indication of the underlying disease. Previous accidents or other known injuries are particularly important in this context.
Subsequently, the attending specialist carries out an extensive physical examination. In the course of this examination, not only the diseased knee but all adjacent joints are examined. Already during the examination of the affected knee joint, the phenomenon of the dancing patella can indicate the presence of a joint effusion.
The actual diagnosis of Ahlbäck’s disease is then more likely to be made by excluding other possible diseases of the knee joint that could cause similar symptoms. In order to further narrow down the cause of the symptoms, in most cases x-rays are taken in different planes (from the front, from the side, etc. ).A problem in connection with M. Ahlbäck is the fact that bone changes such as the loss of bone substance can only be detected at an advanced stage.
However, an important warning sign in the X-ray image is the so-called sclerotherapy. This means that at the border between healthy and dead bone tissue a strengthening of the bone becomes apparent. In early stages, M. Ahlbäck can usually only be reliably diagnosed by taking a magnetic resonance image (MRI of the knee).
A characteristic feature of M. Ahlbäck’s MRI is a visible bone marrow edema, which is the main cause of the pain associated with this disease. Furthermore, a bone density measurement should be performed. This procedure is necessary to rule out osteoporosis (bone loss as a result of a systemic disease) as a possible cause of the joint complaints. If the suspected diagnosis “M. Ahlbäck” is confirmed, the exact stage of the disease can be assessed by means of a knee arthroscopy.
