Recovery of the menisci and articular cartilage of runners after cessation of exercise: additional aspects of in vivo investigation based on 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: It is still unclear whether long-distance running has a deleterious effect on joint health; therefore, this study was undertaken to examine the rate of recovery from alterations occurring at the knee joint in marathon runners due to loading.

Hypothesis: Tibial, patellar, and meniscal cartilaginous volumes are able to recover adequately from changes due to repeated loading immediately after cessation.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Volume changes in the menisci and articular cartilage of runners: an in vivo investigation based on 3-D magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Articular cartilage contributes to transferring enormous loads as uniformly as possible from one skeletal segment to the next. Whether it manages this task when subjected to the high repetitive loading cycles occurring during long-distance running and can remain intact is still the topic of controversy.

Purpose: To investigate the changes in cartilaginous volumes of the tibia, patella, and medial and lateral menisci after extreme dynamic loading as occurs in long-distance runners.