| Objective: To discuss the relationship between exercise and the change of biochemical content in different parts of articular cartilage, and to determine the diagnostic value of cartilage T2-mapping in mild osteo- arthritis(OA).Materials and Methods: Thirty knees of 18 healthy adults before and after deep-knee-bends and 30 knees of 28 mild OA patients were examined with sagittal 4-echo SE sequence. T2-weighted images were done and then were processed on GE workstation using a FUNCTOOL 4.3 software to construct T2-mappings.The T2 values in the cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage were selected by drawing regions-of-interest (ROI) and calculated. The T2 values in the superficial and deep cartilage of femoral and tibial and patellar cartilage before and after deep-knee-bends were compared in healthy adults, so did between the mild OA patients and healthy adults. The T2 values between superficial and deep cartilage before deep-knee-bends were compared with independent-samples t test, the T2 values between superficial and deep cartilage after deep-knee-bends were compared with independent-samples t test, the T2 values of superficial cartilage between before and after deep-knee-bends were compared with paired-samples t test, the T2 values of deep cartilage between before and after deep-knee-bends were compared with paired-samples t test,the T2 values of cartilage between mild OA patients and healthy adults were compared with independent-samples t test. Results:1,Cartilage T2 of thirty knee joints before and after deep-knee-bends in 18 healthy adults(1).Before deep-knee-bends, the T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage were 51.61±2.47ms, 50.35±2.35ms, 51.08±4.66ms, 51.91±2.97ms and 54.39±4.72ms; and the T2 values in the deep ones were 49.44±2.98ms, 48.49±4.47ms, 47.32±4.77ms, 46.43±3.33ms and 51.40±4.97ms. The T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage were higher than that of the deep ones, and were significantly different between superficial and deep cartilage before deep-knee-bends (P<0.05).(2).After deep-knee-bends, the T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage were 51.50±1.16ms, 50.38±2.36ms, 49.07±1.80ms, 50.18±3.25ms and 51.66±2.41ms; and the T2 values in the deep ones were 49.44±2.98ms, 48.49±4.47ms, 47.32±4.77ms, 46.43±3.33ms and 51.40±4.97ms. The T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage and lateral femoral cartilage were higher than that of the deep ones, and were significantly different between superficial and deep cartilage after deep-knee-bends (P<0.05). But there was no significant difference between superficial and deep patella cartilage after deep-knee-bends (P>0.05).(3).The T2 values in the superficial cartilage of lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage were lower after deep- knee-bends than that of before, and were significantly different between before and after deep-knee-bends (P<0.05). But the T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage and medial femoral cartilage were not significantly different between before and after deep-knee-bends (P>0.05).(4).The T2 values in the deep cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage were not significantly different between before and after deep-knee-bends (P>0.05).2,The comparison of cartilage T2 between healthy adults and mild OA patients:The T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage in healthy adults were 51.61±2.47ms, 50.35±2.35ms, 51.08±4.66ms, 51.91±2.97ms and 54.39±4.72ms, and the T2 values of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage in mild OA patients were 53.58±3.25ms, 53.63±2.80ms, 53.47±2.83ms, 54.09±2.01ms and 62.27±8.27ms. The T2 values of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage in mild OA patients were higher than that of healthy adults. There were significant differences between mild OA patients and healthy adults (P<0.05).3,T2-mappings of thirty knees in 18 healthy adults and 30 knees in 28 mild OA patients : Thirty T2-mappings of 18 healthy adults were demonstrated the spatial variation in T2 values, 25 of them were contained homogeneous green color-coded pixels, and the rest were showed mainly green color-coded pixels with focal blue color-coded pixels. The T2 values in the superficial cartilage of all healthy adults were lower after deep- knee-bends than that of before. The T2 mappings can reflect those changes of cartilage before and after deep-knee-bends. In addition, the T2 mappings of all mild OA patients were showed the focal yellow or red color-coded pixels regions with higher T2 values were increased than that of normal.Conclusion:1,MR T2-mapping can be used to evaluate the biochemical content in the cartilage of knee joint before and after deep-knee-bends(1).Before deep-knee-bends,the T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage were higher than that of the deep ones.(2).After deep-knee-bends,the T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage and lateral femoral cartilage were higher than that of the deep ones, but the T2 values between superficial and deep patella cartilage were not significantly different after deep-knee-bends.(3).The T2 values in the superficial cartilage of lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage were lower after deep-knee-bends than that of before, but the T2 values in the superficial cartilage of medial tibial cartilage and medial femoral cartilage between before and after deep-knee-bends were not significantly different.(4). The T2 values in the deep cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage between before and after deep-knee-bends were not significantly different.2,The T2 values in the cartilage of medial tibial cartilage, medial femoral cartilage, lateral tibial cartilage, lateral femoral cartilage and patella cartilage in all mild OA patients were higher than that of healthy adults.3,MR T2-mapping can reflect the change of biochemical content in the cartilage of knee joint before and after deep-knee-bends.It also can show the component abnormality with higher T2 values in mild OA without morphological change. MR T2-mapping has an important value in the diagnosis of mild OA. |
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