Localized development of knee osteoarthritis can be predicted from MR imaging findings a decade earlier.
OBJECTIVE
To define localized development of knee osteoarthritis (OA) that arises from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscal injuries identified at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging performed a decade ago and the subsequent management of those findings in patients with subacute knee symptoms.


METHODS
The present study was approved by local medical ethics review boards, and written informed consent was obtained. Three hundred twenty-six patients (mean age, 42 years; 108 female) from a previously reported series of 855 patients were followed up with regard to the effect of MR imaging-guided treatment for subacute knee problems. The mean follow-up period was 10 years. Initial findings and treatment were compared with the follow-up radiograph and 3.0-T MR image findings. Odds ratios (ORs), with corresponding 95% confidence intervals, were used to identify the effects between variables.


RESULTS
Patients with ACL ruptures had an increased risk of developing joint space narrowing (JSN), cartilaginous defects, osteophytes, bone marrow lesions, and subchondral cysts medially or laterally (OR, 2.4-9.8). Patients with medial meniscal tears had an increased risk of developing JSN, cartilaginous defects, osteophytes, and bone marrow lesions medially (OR, 2.0-15.3). Patients with lateral meniscal tears had an increased risk of developing JSN, cartilaginous defects, osteophytes, bone marrow lesions, and subchondral cysts laterally (OR, 2.1-10.5). Meniscectomy had no effect on the risk of developing OA.


CONCLUSIONS
Localized knee OA developed from risk factors identified from the findings of MR imaging performed a decade ago in patients with subacute knee symptoms and did not depend on the surgical treatment of those findings.
Huétink
Kasper
K
Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. K.Huetink@lumc.nl
Nelissen
Rob G H H
RG
Watt
Iain
I
van Erkel
Arian R
AR
Bloem
Johan L
JL
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity