title: T1ρ magnetic resonance imaging for detection of early cartilage changes in knees of asymptomatic collegiate female impact and nonimpact athletes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if T1ρ magnetic resonance imaging (T1ρ MRI) could assess early articular cartilage changes in knees of asymptomatic female collegiate athletes. It was hypothesized that impact cohort would demonstrate greater changes than nonimpact cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  An institutional review board-approved prospective cohort study. Blinded MRI analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants from collegiate athletic program. Imaging at university hospital, February 2008 to July 2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inclusion criteria were female collegiate athletes in athletic season and asymptomatic. Exclusion criteria were previous/current knee injuries/surgeries. Twenty-one female NCAA Division I athletes, 11 impact (basketball players) and 10 nonimpact (swimmers) participants were consented and imaged with 3.0-T MRI (Siemens) and T1ρ sequence (University of Pennsylvania). One patient was removed (injury diagnosis). Final roster was 10 impact and 10 nonimpact participants. No difference in cohort body mass index, height, or weight.
  
  
  METHODS
  Average T1ρ relaxation times (ART) for patellar and femoral cartilage to analyze defined regions and depth and modified International Cartilage Repair Society classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analyses showed that ART of radial zone of central third weight-bearing region of cartilage in basketball players was significantly greater (P = 0.041) than swimmers and ART of the superficial zone in basketball players was significantly less (P = 0.003) than that of swimmers. For both groups, the ART of superficial zones were significantly greater than that of radial zones (P < 0.001). Four impact athletes showed macroscopic changes (none in nonimpact cohort).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T1ρ MRI detected early changes in articular cartilage of asymptomatic collegiate female impact athletes, with significant differences between cohorts in radial zone of central third weight-bearing region and superficial zones ART. Both cohorts showed increased ART in superficial zone. Four impact athletes showed macroscopic changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates a quantitative MRI sequence able to detect signal differences in articular cartilage in asymptomatic athletes.
authors.affiliation: Departments of *Orthopaedic Surgery; †Orthopaedic Research; and ‡Diagnostic Radiology, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, Michigan; and §Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan.
authors.forename: Sebastian C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Peers
authors.forename: Tristan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maerz
authors.forename: Erin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Steffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puwal
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcantonio
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keyes
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guettler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D001490:Basketball; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D013550:Swimming; D055815:Young Adult