T2 Mapping Values in Postmeniscectomy Knee Articular Cartilage after Running: Early Signs of Osteoarthritis?

Abstract

Loading on the joints during running may have a deleterious effect on post–partial meniscectomy knee cartilage, leading to osteoarthritis. Utilizing T2-mapping measurements before and after running may enable the observation of changes in the articular cartilage of the postmeniscectomy knees compared with healthy knees. After medial partial meniscectomy, 12 volunteers underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the both knees, before and immediately after 30 minutes of running. Quantitative assessment of articular cartilage was performed using a T2-mapping technique. In the medial compartment of the operated knees, significantly lower T2 values were found in anterior tibial plateau (pre- vs. postrun: 33.85 vs. 30.45 ms; p = 0.003) and central tibial plateau (33.33 vs. 30.63 ms; p = 0.007). Similar differences were found in lateral regions of central femur (post- vs. prerun: 35.86 vs. 40.35 ms; p = 0.015), posterior femur (34.89 vs. 37.73 ms; p = 0.001), and anterior tibia (24.66 vs. 28.70 ms, p = 0.0004). In lateral compartment, postrun values were significantly lower in operated compared with healthy knees, in central femur (34.89 vs. 37.59 ms; p = 0.043), posterior femoral (36.88 vs. 39.36 ms; p = 0.017), anterior tibia (24.66 vs. 30.20 ms; p = 0.009), and posterior tibia (28.84 vs. 33.17 ms; p = 0.006). No statistical difference was found while comparing postrun to prerun healthy knees. Lower T2 values were found in operated knees after 30 minutes of running. These changes were seen in medial and lateral compartments. We suspect that running may subject the articular cartilage to excessive loads in the post–partial meniscectomy knee, loads that in healthy knee do not cause any changes.

Keywords

knee cartilage - partial meniscectomy - T2 mapping - osteoarthritis - running

^* Co–first author.

Publication History

Received: 27 November 2019

Accepted: 25 August 2020

Article published online:
27 October 2020

• References

• 1 Nishii T, Kuroda K, Matsuoka Y, Sahara T, Yoshikawa H. Change in knee cartilage T2 in response to mechanical loading. J Magn Reson Imaging 2008; 28 (01) 175-180
• 2 Choi J-A, Gold GE. MR imaging of articular cartilage physiology. Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am 2011; 19 (02) 249-282
• 3 Glaser C. New techniques for cartilage imaging: T2 relaxation time and diffusion-weighted MR imaging. Radiol Clin North Am 2005; 43 (04) 641-653
• 4 Wei B, Du X, Liu J. et al. Associations between the properties of the cartilage matrix and findings from quantitative MRI in human osteoarthritic cartilage of the knee. Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2015; 8 (04) 3928-3936
• 5 Zarins ZA, Bolbos RI, Pialat JB. et al. Cartilage and meniscus assessment using T1rho and T2 measurements in healthy subjects and patients with osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2010; 18 (11) 1408-1416
• 6 Li X, Benjamin Ma C, Link TM. et al. In vivo T(1rho) and T(2) mapping of articular cartilage in osteoarthritis of the knee using 3 T MRI. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2007; 15 (07) 789-797
• 7 Mamisch TC, Trattnig S, Quirbach S, Marlovits S, White LM, Welsch GH. Quantitative T2 mapping of knee cartilage: differentiation of healthy control cartilage and cartilage repair tissue in the knee with unloading--initial results. Radiology 2010; 254 (03) 818-826
• 8 Haskell WL, Lee IM, Pate RR. et al. Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007; 39 (08) 1423-1434
• 9 O'Neill TW, McCabe PS, McBeth J. Update on the epidemiology, risk factors and disease outcomes of osteoarthritis. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2018; 32 (02) 312-326
• 10 Urquhart DM, Tobing JF, Hanna FS. et al. What is the effect of physical activity on the knee joint? A systematic review. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011; 43 (03) 432-442
• 11 Cha JG, Lee JC, Kim HJ. et al. Comparison of MRI T2 relaxation changes of knee articular cartilage before and after running between young and old amateur athletes. Korean J Radiol 2012; 13 (05) 594-601
• 12 Hoessly ML, Wildi LM. Magnetic resonance imaging findings in the knee before and after long-distance running-documentation of irreversible structural damage? A systematic review. Am J Sports Med 2017; 45 (05) 1206-1217
• 13 Kääb MJ, Ito K, Clark JM, Nötzli HP. Deformation of articular cartilage collagen structure under static and cyclic loading. J Orthop Res 1998; 16 (06) 743-751
• 14 Subburaj K, Kumar D, Souza RB. et al. The acute effect of running on knee articular cartilage and meniscus magnetic resonance relaxation times in young healthy adults. Am J Sports Med 2012; 40 (09) 2134-2141
• 15 Kessler MA, Glaser C, Tittel S, Reiser M, Imhoff AB. Volume changes in the menisci and articular cartilage of runners: an in vivo investigation based on 3-D magnetic resonance imaging. Am J Sports Med 2006; 34 (05) 832-836
• 16 Mosher TJ, Liu Y, Torok CM. Functional cartilage MRI T2 mapping: evaluating the effect of age and training on knee cartilage response to running. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2010; 18 (03) 358-364
• 17 Ben-Eliezer N, Sodickson DK, Block KT. Rapid and accurate T2 mapping from multi-spin-echo data using Bloch-simulation-based reconstruction. Magn Reson Med 2015; 73 (02) 809-817
• 18 Chu CR, Williams AA, West RV. et al. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging UTE-T2* mapping of cartilage and meniscus healing after anatomic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 2014; 42 (08) 1847-1856
• 19 White LM, Sussman MS, Hurtig M, Probyn L, Tomlinson G, Kandel R. Cartilage T2 assessment: differentiation of normal hyaline cartilage and reparative tissue after arthroscopic cartilage repair in equine subjects. Radiology 2006; 241 (02) 407-414
• 20 Luke AC, Stehling C, Stahl R. et al. High-field magnetic resonance imaging assessment of articular cartilage before and after marathon running: does long-distance running lead to cartilage damage?. Am J Sports Med 2010; 38 (11) 2273-2280