Eckstein, Arthritis Rheumatol 2015 - Five-Year Followup of Knee Joint Cartilage Thickness Changes after Acute Rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

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Five-Year Followup of Knee Joint Cartilage Thickness Changes after Acute Rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Eckstein, Frobell, et al.·Arthritis Rheumatol·2015·92 citations·Prospective cohort

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Purpose

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture involves increased risk of osteoarthritis. We explored cartilage thickness changes over five years after ACL rupture.

Methods

121 young active adults (26% women, age 18-35 years) with acute traumatic ACL rupture were studied (the KANON-trial).
Sagittal MRIs were acquired within 4 weeks (BL), and at two-, and five-year follow-up.
Medial and lateral femorotibial cartilage was segmented with blinding to acquisition order; thickness was computed across 16 femorotibial subregions.
Total femorotibial cartilage thickness change was the primary analytic focus.
Maximal subregional cartilage thickness loss (OV1) and gain (OV16), independent of its specific location in individual knees, was the secondary analytic focus.

Results

Overall femorotibial cartilage thickness increased by 31 micrometers per year over 5 years [95% confidence interval 18,44 micrometers].
The increase was similar for men and women, and was significantly greater in those below than those above median age (25.3 years).
The rate of total cartilage thickness change did not differ (p=0.89) between the first two and the later three years; however, maximal annualized subregional cartilage loss (OV1) and thickening (OV16) were both significantly greater (p<0.001) during the earlier than during the later interval (-115 vs. -54 [OV1], and +116 vs. +69 micrometers [OV16]).

Conclusions

Cartilage thickening was observed over five years following ACL injury, particularly in the medial femorotibial compartment and in younger subjects. Major perturbations in cartilage homeostasis were seen over the first two years after ACL rupture, with simultaneous subregional thinning and thickening occurring within the same cartilage plate or compartment.

Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.

Five-Year Followup of Knee Joint Cartilage Thickness Changes after Acute Rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

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Five-Year Followup of Knee Joint Cartilage Thickness Changes after Acute Rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Eckstein, Frobell, et al.·Arthritis Rheumatol·2015·92 citations·Prospective cohort

|

Purpose

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture involves increased risk of osteoarthritis. We explored cartilage thickness changes over five years after ACL rupture.

Methods

121 young active adults (26% women, age 18-35 years) with acute traumatic ACL rupture were studied (the KANON-trial).
Sagittal MRIs were acquired within 4 weeks (BL), and at two-, and five-year follow-up.
Medial and lateral femorotibial cartilage was segmented with blinding to acquisition order; thickness was computed across 16 femorotibial subregions.
Total femorotibial cartilage thickness change was the primary analytic focus.
Maximal subregional cartilage thickness loss (OV1) and gain (OV16), independent of its specific location in individual knees, was the secondary analytic focus.

Results

Overall femorotibial cartilage thickness increased by 31 micrometers per year over 5 years [95% confidence interval 18,44 micrometers].
The increase was similar for men and women, and was significantly greater in those below than those above median age (25.3 years).
The rate of total cartilage thickness change did not differ (p=0.89) between the first two and the later three years; however, maximal annualized subregional cartilage loss (OV1) and thickening (OV16) were both significantly greater (p<0.001) during the earlier than during the later interval (-115 vs. -54 [OV1], and +116 vs. +69 micrometers [OV16]).

Conclusions

Cartilage thickening was observed over five years following ACL injury, particularly in the medial femorotibial compartment and in younger subjects. Major perturbations in cartilage homeostasis were seen over the first two years after ACL rupture, with simultaneous subregional thinning and thickening occurring within the same cartilage plate or compartment.

Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.

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