To explore the clinical diagnosis value of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) in occult fracture of tarsal bones.

In 80 cases of tarsal bone trauma patients without fracture by digital radiography examination, computed tomography (CT) and MRI examinations were performed to diagnose occult fracture.The results of images were analyzed.The detection case numbers and the total detection rate of occult fracture were compared.

CT examination in 80 patients showed that the bone trabeculae and bone cortex disrupted in 39 cases.Conventional MRI clearly demonstrated that the occult traumatic direct sign of fracture in 74 patients, injury of cortical bone at the discontinuity, interrupt at a strip-shaped or linear, low signal intensity in T1WI and high signal intensity in T2WI.All the patients had bone contusion, showing irregular mesh, patchy or map like lesions low signal in T1WI and high signal in T2WI.The detection rate of CT examination was 48.75%, MR T1WI was 88.75%, and MR T2WI was 100.00%.The occult fracture detection rate of MRI was significantly higher than that of CT (χ²=36.9, 55.1; P<0.05).

MRI can diagnose the foot tarsal occult fracture and bone bruise effectively.If patients with tarsal bone trauma are found no fracture by radiograph or CT examination, and the injury is persistent swelling, paining, and can not by force, MRI examination should be used to diagnose whether the occult fracture or not.