Evolving cartilage strain with pain progression and gait: a longitudinal study post-ACL reconstruction at six and twelve months.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are prevalent musculoskeletal conditions often resulting in long-term degenerative outcomes such as osteoarthritis (OA). Despite surgical advances in ACL reconstruction, a significant number of patients develop OA within ten years post-surgery, providing a patient population that may present early markers of cartilage degeneration detectable using noninvasive imaging.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the temporal evolution of cartilage strain and relaxometry post-ACL reconstruction using displacement under applied loading MRI and quantitative MRI.

MRI-derived Articular Cartilage Strains Predict Patient-Reported Outcomes Six Months Post Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Key Terms: Multicontrast and Multiparametric, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Osteoarthritis, Functional Biomechanical Imaging, Knee Joint Degeneration dualMRI has been used to quantify strains in a healthy human population and in cartilage explant models. Previously, OA severity, as determined by histology, has been positively correlated to increased shear and transverse strains in cartilage explants. This is the first use of dualMRI in a participant demographic post-ACL reconstruction and at risk for developing osteoarthritis.