title: Quantitative Evaluation of Growth Plates around the Knees of Adolescent Soccer Players by Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantitatively evaluate growth plates around the knees in adolescent soccer players utilizing the diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI).
  
  
  METHODS
  The knees and adjacent growth plates of eleven 14-year-old male soccer players were evaluated by MRI before (end of season's summer break) and after two months of intense soccer training. MRI evaluation was conducted in coronal plane by PD-FSE and DWI. All images were screened for any major pathological changes. Later, central growth plate surface area (CGPSA) was measured and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated in two most central coronal slices divided into four regions: distal femur medial (DFM), distal femur lateral (DFL), proximal tibia medial (PTM), and proximal tibia lateral (PTL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No gross pathology was diagnosed on MRI. CGPSA was not significantly reduced: DFM 278 versus 272, DFL 265 versus 261, PTM 193 versus 192, and PTL 214 versus 210. ADC decrease was statistically significant only for PTM: DFM 1.27 versus 1.22, DFL 1.37 versus 1.34, PTM 1.13 versus 1.03 (p = 0.003), and PTL 1.28 versus 1.22.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DWI measurements indicate increased cellularity in growth plates around knees in footballers most prominent in PTM after intense training. No detectable differences on a standard PD-FSE sequence were observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Zmago
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Krajnc
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia ; Medical Faculty, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Mitja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rupreht
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drobnič
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D056352:Athletes; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007717:Knee / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012916:Soccer