title: Association between delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and joint space narrowing and osteophytes: a cohort study in patients with partial meniscectomy with 11 years of follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between the relaxation time (T1Gd) of delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and grade of tibiofemoral joint space narrowing (JSN) and osteophytosis 11 years later, in a cohort of meniscectomized patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 45) aged 35-50 who had undergone an arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy 1-6 years earlier, due to degenerative meniscal tear, were examined using dGEMRIC. These patients had no cartilage changes defined as deep clefts or visible bone at the time of arthroscopy. Eleven years later (12-16 years after surgery) 34 of these subjects (76%) were evaluated by weight-bearing knee radiography, and tibiofemoral joint changes were graded according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International Atlas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lower T1Gd in the medial compartment was associated with higher grade of medial JSN (grade 0, 351 ms; grade 1, 386 ms; grade 2, 342 ms; grade 3, 259 ms [P for trend < 0.001]) and more osteophytosis (score 0, 371 ms; score 1, 389 ms; score 2, 354 ms; score 3, 289 ms; score 4, 265 ms; score 5, 275 ms [P for trend = 0.001]). Lower T1Gd in the lateral compartment was associated with higher grade of lateral JSN (grade 0, 436 ms; grade 1, 346 ms [P for trend = 0.026]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study suggests that lower T1Gd measured with dGEMRIC of medial and lateral femoral cartilage is associated with higher grade of JSN 11 years later, and medially, also with more osteophytosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. Electronic address: henrik.owman@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Owman
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Ericsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Clinical Epidemiology Research & Training Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Englund
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tiderius
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tjörnstrand
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Musculoskeletal Function and Physiotherapy, Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; Department of Orthopaedics, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Dahlberg
mesh_terms: D001182:Arthroscopy; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D054850:Osteophyte / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D005682:Gadolinium
keywords: Cartilage; Glycosaminoglycans; Knee; Osteoarthritis; dGEMRIC