Subregion-Specific T2-Cluster Analysis Reveals Early Cartilage Changes in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructed Knees

作者：Valeria Barriobero, Marianne S. Black, Katherine A. Young, Jessica L. Asay, Seth Sherman, Feliks Kogan, Garry E. Gold, Brian A. Hargreaves, Akshay Chaudhari, Anthony Gatti, Anoosha Pai S · 发表于：Proceedings on CD-ROM - International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Scientific Meeting and Exhibition/Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Scientific Meeting and Exhibition · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.58530/2025/0966 · 研究领域：Knee injuries and reconstruction techniques、Total Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes、Osteoarthritis Treatment and Mechanisms

Motivation: To assess spatiotemporal changes of femoral cartilage in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed (ACLR) patients from 3 weeks to 30 months using T2 relaxation times. Goal(s): Convert cartilage T2 into T2-clusters (longitudinally elevated T2 regions) across 5 femoral cartilage subregions (anterior, medial-central, medial-posterior, lateral-central, and lateral-posterior) and assess longitudinal changes. Approach: T2-clusters were categorized for femoral cartilage subregions in 15 ACLR subjects, their contralateral knees, and in 15 matched controls at 3 weeks, 3, 9, 18, and 30 months post-ACLR. Results: Anterior, lateral-posterior, and medial regions saw the greatest changes in T2-clusters across 30 months, with ACLR knees exhibiting larger changes compared to others. Impact: T2-clusters are better at detecting spatiotemporal variations in T2 within femoral cartilage subregions compared to bulk mean T2. T2-clusters are consistent with patterns of full-thickness defects observed in osteoarthritic cartilage, suggesting its potential application in monitoring cartilage health post-ACLR.