The relationship between T2 relaxation times of tibiofemoral articular cartilage and functional knee joint kinematics following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction — The Association Specialists
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The relationship between T2 relaxation times of tibiofemoral articular cartilage and functional knee joint kinematics following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (417)

Ashleigh Donovan , Corey Scholes 1 , Joe Lynch 1 , Brett Fritsch 1 , Myles Coolican 1 , David Parker 1 , Richard Smith 2
  1. The Sydney Orthopaedic Research Institute, Chatswood
  2. The University of Sydney, Sydney

Background

There is a high incidence of Osteoarthritis (OA) in ACL-reconstructed (ACL-R) knees, which may be due to altered knee joint kinematics post-operatively. Quantitative MRI has improved early detection of OA changes to cartilage. The aim of this study therefore was to assess associations between the changes found in cartilage and altered knee joint kinematics in ACL-R and matched control knees.

Methods

10 patients (33.9 ± 11.07 years; 25.27 ± 3.32kg/m2) that underwent surgical ACL reconstruction were invited to participate. Healthy controls were recruited from the general public that were matched by age, height and weight to each patient. T2 weighted MRI sequences were acquired using a 3T Siemens scanner. T2 relaxation times were calculated by segmenting tibiofemoral articular cartilage into five regions of interest (ROI). Knee joint kinematics was measured during treadmill locomotion at the walk to run transition speed using a 14- camera motion analysis system. Knee joint angles and ROM in the sagittal, coronal and transverse planes at 0%, 12% and 20% of the gait cycle were analysed. The association between T2 relaxation times and knee joint kinematics was tested using partial least squares regression (PLSR).

Results

Knee joint kinematics explained up to 82% of the variance in T2 relaxation times in the medial compartment and up to 52% of the variance in the lateral compartment. PLSR also identified group (ACL-reconstructed vs Healthy) as a predictor of T2 relaxation times on the tibia but not the femur.

Conclusion:

Knee joint kinematics appeared to contribute to changes in cartilage microstructure in ACL-R and matched control knees. Group was not a main predictor of T2 relaxation times on the femur, suggesting that ACL reconstruction may not be the only determining factor in degenerative changes post-operatively. The implications of this are important for improving long-term quality of life through early detection and intervention of OA.