目的:研究单侧前交叉韧带(ACL)损伤对软骨厚度和成分的影响,特别是磁共振成像(MRI)的层状横向弛豫时间(T2),在年轻和老年参与者中,比较ACL损伤和健康对照组之间这些参数的人内差异。
方法:定量双回波稳态(qDESS)在四组85名参与者的两个膝盖中获得3TeslaMRI序列:20-30岁:健康,HEA20-30,n=24;ACL损伤,ACL20-30,n=23;40-60岁:健康,HEA40-60,n=24;ACL损伤,ACL40-60,n=14(纳入研究前2-10年ACL损伤)。手动分割负重的股胫软骨;使用自定义软件计算软骨T2和厚度。次区域软骨厚度的平均值和侧差,使用非参数统计学方法,在组内和组间比较浅层和深层软骨T2.
结果:软骨厚度在组内或组间没有差异。ACL20-30中股胫内侧软骨厚度的侧面差异大于HEA20-30。ACL损伤的深T2区长于对侧未受伤的膝盖和健康对照组,尤其是在侧面的隔间。大多数受ACL损伤的参与者在股胫深部T2区的侧面差异高于对照组的阈值。
结论:在ACL损伤的膝关节中,股胫软骨(T2)的早期成分差异似乎发生在深部区域,并且先于软骨厚度损失。这些结果表明,ACL损伤后监测层流T2可能有助于诊断和监测早期关节软骨变化。
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of unilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on cartilage thickness and composition, specifically laminar transverse relaxation time (T2) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in younger and older participants and to compare within-person side differences in these parameters between ACL-injured and healthy controls.
METHODS: Quantitative double-echo steady-state 3 Tesla MRI-sequences were acquired in both knees of 85 participants in four groups: 20-30 years: healthy, HEA20-30, n = 24; ACL-injured, ACL20-30, n = 23; 40-60 years: healthy, HEA40-60, n = 24; ACL-injured, ACL40-60, n = 14 (ACL injury 2-10 years prior to study inclusion). Weight-bearing femorotibial cartilages were manually segmented; cartilage T2 and thickness were computed using custom software. Mean and side differences in subregional cartilage thickness, superficial and deep cartilage T2 were compared within and between groups using non-parametric statistics.
RESULTS: Cartilage thickness did not differ within or between groups. Only the side difference in medial femorotibial cartilage thickness was greater in ACL20-30 than in HEA20-30. Deep zone T2 was longer in the ACL-injured than in the contralateral uninjured knees and than in healthy controls, especially in the lateral compartment. Most ACL-injured participants had side differences in femorotibial deep zone T2 above the threshold derived from controls.
CONCLUSIONS: In the ACL-injured knee, early compositional differences in femorotibial cartilage (T2) appear to occur in the deep zone and precede cartilage thickness loss. These results suggest that monitoring laminar T2 after ACL injury may be useful in diagnosing and monitoring early articular cartilage changes.