scholarly journals Non-traumatic anterior cruciate ligament abnormalities and their relationship to osteoarthritis using morphological grading and cartilage T2 relaxation times: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI)

2012 ◽  
Vol 41 (11) ◽  
pp. 1435-1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keegan K. Hovis ◽  
Hamza Alizai ◽  
Seng-Choe Tham ◽  
Richard B. Souza ◽  
Michael C. Nevitt ◽  
...  
2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1075-1084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiko Amano ◽  
Alan K. Li ◽  
Valentina Pedoia ◽  
Matthew F. Koff ◽  
Aaron J. Krych ◽  
...  

Background: Quantitative magnetic resonance (qMR) can be used to measure macromolecules in tissues and is a potential method of observing early cartilage changes in the development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. Hypothesis/Purpose: We hypothesized that specific patient and surgical factors affecting cartilage matrix composition after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) can be detected using T1ρ and T2 relaxation times. Our purpose was to demonstrate this ability in a multicenter feasibility study. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 54 patients who underwent ACLR underwent bilateral MRI at baseline before surgery and 6 months postoperatively. Operative findings were recorded. T1ρ and T2 relaxation times were calculated for 6 cartilage regions: the medial femur, lateral femur, medial tibia, lateral tibia, patella, and trochlea. A paired t test compared relaxation times at baseline and 6 months, univariate regression identified regions that influenced patient-reported outcome measures, and analysis of covariance was used to determine the surgical factors that resulted in elevated relaxation times at 6 months. Results: The injured knee had significantly prolonged T1ρ and T2 relaxation times in the tibiofemoral compartment at baseline and 6 months but had shorter values in the patellofemoral compartment compared with the uninjured knee. Prolonged T1ρ and T2 times at 6 months were noted for both the injured and uninjured knees. At 6 months, prolongation of T1ρ and T2 times in the tibial region was associated with lower patient-reported outcome measures. ACLR performed within 30 days of injury had significantly shorter T1ρ times in the tibial regions, and lateral meniscal tears treated with repair had significantly shorter T1ρ times than those treated with excision. Conclusion: Prolonged relaxation times in multiple regions demonstrate how the injury affects the entire joint after an ACL tear. Changes observed in the uninjured knee may be caused by increased loading during rehabilitation, especially in the patellofemoral articular cartilage and distal femur. Relaxation times in the tibial regions may be predictive of patient symptoms at 6 months. These same regions are affected by surgical timing as early as 30 days after injury, but this may partially be reflective of the severity of the preoperative injury and the choice of treatment of meniscal tears.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Hongyue Tao ◽  
Yiwen Hu ◽  
Yang Qiao ◽  
Yuxue Xie ◽  
Tianwu Chen ◽  
...  

Objectives. To examine the metabolic profiles alterations of synovial fluids from anterior cruciate ligament- (ACL-) injured rabbit knees at early stage and analyze the correlation with T2 relaxation times of cartilage and meniscus. Methods. The right knees of 15 rabbits were selected for the construction of ACL injury models, whereas the contralateral knees served as control group. After 4 weeks, both knees were examined by MRI with quantitative T2 mapping sequence, and the T2 relaxation times of cartilage and meniscus were measured. Then, the synovial fluids were obtained from both knee capsules and performed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS). Results. The T2 relaxation times of cartilage and meniscus in ACL-injured knees were significantly higher than those in control knees (Cartilage: 41.52 ± 2.98 ms vs 36.02 ± 2.71 ms, P < 0.001; Meniscus: 33.35 ± 3.57 ms vs 27.27 ± 2.10 ms, P < 0.001). Twenty-eight differential metabolites were identified based on a total of 1569 detected signatures between ACL-injured knees and control knees. These differential metabolites primarily implied perturbations in the fluxes of lipids and steroid-based compounds. The Linear regression analysis demonstrated satisfactory correlations between glycerophospholipid metabolism and T2 relaxation times of both cartilage and meniscus in ACL-injured knees (R2 = 0.8204 and 0.8197, respectively). Conclusion. ACL injury of rabbit knees resulted in elevated T2 relaxation times of cartilage and meniscus and perturbed metabolism of various lipids and steroids in synovial fluids, particularly glycerophospholipids. Glycerophospholipid metabolism related compounds could serve as potential biomarkers for early degenerative changes of cartilage and meniscus after ACL injury.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 2242-2251
Author(s):  
Tzu-Chieh Liao ◽  
Alejandro G. Morales Martinez ◽  
Valentina Pedoia ◽  
Benjamin C. Ma ◽  
Xiaojuan Li ◽  
...  

Background: There is growing evidence suggesting a link between patellofemoral joint (PFJ) osteoarthritis in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)–reconstructed knees and altered joint alignment. Purpose: To determine whether patellar alignment differs between participants with and without ACL reconstruction (ACLR) and to identify possible associations between patellar alignment and PFJ osteoarthritis features over 3 years. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A total of 37 participants with ACLR (sex, 23 male; mean ± SD age, 28.1 ± 7.4 years) and 20 healthy controls (13 male; 30.4 ± 4.8 years) participated. Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging: (1) sagittal T2-weighted fat-saturated fast spin echo images to calculate patellar alignment, (2) sagittal 3-dimensional intermediate-weighted fast spin echo Cube sequence for clinical morphological grading (modified Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score [WORMS]), and (3) sagittal combined T1ρ/T2 mapping sequence for performing voxel-based relaxometry. Patellar alignment of the ACLR knees were assessed at 6 months (baseline). One-way analysis of variance was used to compare patellar alignment among the ACLR (at 6 months), contralateral, and control knees. Within the ACLR group, a logistic regression model was used to identify if patellar alignment measures at baseline were risk factors for worsening of PFJ structural changes over 3 years. Statistical parametric mapping was used to evaluate the longitudinal associations between patellar alignment and cartilage relaxation times at 3 years. Results: When compared with control knees, ACLR knees exhibited a laterally and anteriorly displaced patella ( P = .045 and P = .041), less flexion ( P = .031), and less lateral spin ( P = .012). Furthermore, excessive lateral displacement was a significant predictor of worsening of WORMS ( P = .050). Lateral displacement was positively correlated with increased T1ρ and T2 in the patellar and trochlear cartilage at 3 years. Patellar lateral spin revealed similar negative findings. Conclusion: Participants with ACLR exhibited a laterally and anteriorly displaced patella, less flexion, and less lateral spin when compared with healthy controls. Excessive patellar lateral displacement was the strongest predictor to the development of PFJ osteoarthritis features longitudinally.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 890-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiko Amano ◽  
Janet L. Huebner ◽  
Thomas V. Stabler ◽  
Matthew Tanaka ◽  
Charles E. McCulloch ◽  
...  

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament tears can lead to posttraumatic osteoarthritis. In addition to biomechanical factors, changes in biochemical profiles within the knee joint after injury and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) may play a role in accelerating joint degeneration. Hypothesis/Purpose: It was hypothesized that cartilage matrix composition after ACLR is associated with the degree of inflammatory response after initial injury. This study evaluated the association between the inflammatory response after injury—as indicated by cytokine, metalloproteinase, and cartilage degradation marker concentrations in synovial fluid—and articular cartilage degeneration, measured by T1ρ and T2 quantitative magnetic resonance imaging up to 3 years after ACLR. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Twenty-six subjects from a longitudinal cohort study who underwent ACLR at a mean 8.5 weeks after injury (range, 4-19 weeks) had synovial fluid aspirated at the time of surgery. Immunoassays quantified biomarkers in synovial fluid. T1ρ and T2 values of articular cartilage were calculated with magnetic resonance scans acquired prior to surgery and at 6 months and 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated among the various biomarkers. K-means clustering was used to group subjects with similar biomarker profiles. Generalized estimating equations were used to find the overall differences in T1ρ and T2 values throughout these first 3 years after surgery between the clusters while controlling for other factors. Results: Significant and strong correlations were observed between several cytokines (interleukin 6 [IL-6], IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor α) and 2 matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1 and MMP-3) ( P < .05). Moderate correlations were found among combinations of C-terminal crosslinked telopeptide type II collagen, N-terminal telopeptide, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, and sulfated glycosaminoglycan ( P < .05). Two clusters were generated, 1 of which was characterized by lower concentrations of cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor α) and MMP-1 and MMP-3 and higher sulfated glycosaminoglycan. This cluster was associated with significantly higher T1ρ and T2 values in the medial tibial and patellar cartilage over the first 3 years after ACLR. Conclusion: At the time of ACLR surgery, profiles of synovial fluid inflammatory cytokines, degradative enzymes, and cartilage breakdown products show promise as predictors of abnormal cartilage tissue integrity (increased T1ρ and T2 values) throughout the first 3 years after surgery. Clinical Relevance: The results suggest an intricate relationship between inflammation and cartilage turnover, which can in turn be influenced by timing after injury and patient factors.


Author(s):  
Megan L. Killian ◽  
Roger C. Haut ◽  
Tammy L. Haut Donahue

Traumatic impaction is known to cause acute cell death and macroscopic damage to cartilage and menisci in vitro1,2,3. It is understood that damage to the menisci can lead to chronic problems associated with excessive cartilage wear and the eventual onset of osteoarthritis (OA)4. Additionally, cartilage fissuring, subchondral bone bruising, and chondrocyte death are also believed to lead to the rapid progression of joint degeneration5. Such injuries, along with posterolateral meniscal tearing, are often observed after traumatic impaction and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture6–9. Therefore, understanding how the menisci and cartilage respond acutely to impaction may help guide future therapies following traumatic knee injury in order to prevent the development of OA.


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