title: Abnormal tibial position is correlated to early degenerative changes one year following ACL reconstruction.
abstract: Altered knee kinematics following ACL reconstruction may predispose patients to the development of early onset post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The goal of our study was to examine the longitudinal interrelationship between altered tibial position relative to the femur and cartilage health measured by quantitative T1ρ MRI. Twenty-five patients with isolated unilateral ACL injury underwent kinematic and cartilage T1ρ MRI at baseline prior to ACL reconstruction and then at 1-year post-reconstruction. Tibial position relative to the femur in the anterior-posterior plane was calculated as well as cartilage T1ρ relaxation values in the injured and uninjured knee. At baseline prior to ACL reconstruction, the tibia was in a significantly more anterior position relative to the femur in the ACL deficient knee compared to the healthy contralateral knee. This difference was no longer present at 1-year follow-up. Additionally, the side-side difference in tibial position correlated to increased cartilage T1ρ relaxation values in the medial compartment of the knee 1-year post-reconstruction. Altered tibial position following ACL reconstruction is correlated with detectable cartilage degeneration as soon as 1 year following ACL reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaid
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Drew
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lansdown
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Favian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pedoia
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tufts
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
authors.forename: C Benjamin
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059549:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013977:Tibia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ACL injury; knee kinematics; post-traumatic osteoarthritis; quantitative imaging