Iliotibial band friction syndrome
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS) is a common cause of lateral knee pain that is often related to intense physical activity (long-distance runners, cyclists, and American football players). The disorder is a result of friction of the iliotibial tract over the lateral femoral epicondyle, producing a localized inflammatory response. The diagnosis of ITBFS is based on clinical examination, with tenderness over the lateral femoral epicondyle and reproducible pain during flexion and extension of the knee while the examiner exerts pressure over the lateral femoral epicondyle. In some patients, ITBFS can be misdiagnosed as some other derangement of the knee, such as a lateral meniscal tear, lateral collateral ligament sprain, popliteal tendon strain, or lateral hamstring strain.
On imaging, ill-defined decreased signal intensity on T1-weighted images and increased signal intensity on T2- weighted images will be noted deep to the iliotibial band, adjacent to the lateral femoral epicondyle.
Patient #1: MR images demonstrating iliotibial band syndrome
Patient #2: MR images demonstrating iliotibial band syndrome
