PURPOSE: The goal of this study is to compare the cartilage of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-reconstructed and uninjured contralateral knees using T 1ρ MRI 12-16 months after ACL reconstructions. METHODS: Eighteen patients with ACL-reconstructed knees (10 women, 8 men, mean age = 38.3 ± 7.8 years) were studied using 3T MRI. Injured and contralateral knee MR studies were acquired 12-16 months post-operatively. Cartilage sub-compartment T 1ρ values of each injured knee were compared with the contralateral knee's values. Subgroup analysis of sub-compartment T 1ρ values in both knees was performed between patients with and without meniscal tears at the time of ACL reconstruction using a paired Student's t test. RESULTS: In ACL-injured knees, the T 1ρ values of the medial tibia (MT) and medial femoral condyle (MFC) were significantly elevated at 12-16 months follow-up compared to contralateral knees. Patients with a medial meniscal tear had higher MFC and MT T 1ρ values compared to respective regions in contralateral knees. Patients with lateral meniscal tears had higher lateral femoral condyle and LT T 1ρ values compared to respective regions in contralateral knees. There were no differences between the injured and contralateral knees of patients without meniscal tears. CONCLUSIONS: T 1ρ MRI can detect significant changes in the medial compartments' cartilage matrix of ACL-reconstructed knees at 1 year post-operatively compared to contralateral knees. The presence of a meniscal tear at the time of ACL reconstruction is a risk factor for cartilage matrix degeneration in the femorotibial compartments on the same side as the meniscal tear.
PURPOSE: The goal of this study is to compare the cartilage of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-reconstructed and uninjured contralateral knees using T 1ρ MRI 12-16 months after ACL reconstructions. METHODS: Eighteen patients with ACL-reconstructed knees (10 women, 8 men, mean age = 38.3 ± 7.8 years) were studied using 3T MRI. Injured and contralateral knee MR studies were acquired 12-16 months post-operatively. Cartilage sub-compartment T 1ρ values of each injured knee were compared with the contralateral knee's values. Subgroup analysis of sub-compartment T 1ρ values in both knees was performed between patients with and without meniscal tears at the time of ACL reconstruction using a paired Student's t test. RESULTS: In ACL-injured knees, the T 1ρ values of the medial tibia (MT) and medial femoral condyle (MFC) were significantly elevated at 12-16 months follow-up compared to contralateral knees. Patients with a medial meniscal tear had higher MFC and MT T 1ρ values compared to respective regions in contralateral knees. Patients with lateral meniscal tears had higher lateral femoral condyle and LT T 1ρ values compared to respective regions in contralateral knees. There were no differences between the injured and contralateral knees of patients without meniscal tears. CONCLUSIONS: T 1ρ MRI can detect significant changes in the medial compartments' cartilage matrix of ACL-reconstructed knees at 1 year post-operatively compared to contralateral knees. The presence of a meniscal tear at the time of ACL reconstruction is a risk factor for cartilage matrix degeneration in the femorotibial compartments on the same side as the meniscal tear.
Authors: Gabrielle Blumenkrantz; Colleen T Lindsey; Timothy C Dunn; Hua Jin; Michael D Ries; Thomas M Link; Lynne S Steinbach; Sharmila Majumdar Journal: Osteoarthritis Cartilage Date: 2004-12 Impact factor: 6.576
Authors: Brian Pietrosimone; Richard F Loeser; J Troy Blackburn; Darin A Padua; Matthew S Harkey; Laura E Stanley; Brittney A Luc-Harkey; Veronica Ulici; Stephen W Marshall; Joanne M Jordan; Jeffery T Spang Journal: J Orthop Res Date: 2017-03-02 Impact factor: 3.494
Authors: J Knox; V Pedoia; A Wang; M Tanaka; G B Joseph; J Neumann; T M Link; X Li; C B Ma Journal: Osteoarthritis Cartilage Date: 2018-02-10 Impact factor: 6.576