title: MRI findings of knee abnormalities in adolescent and adult volleyball players.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To longitudinally and cross-sectionally evaluate knee abnormalities by sex and age in adolescent and adult volleyball athletes over 2 years using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six high-level volleyball athletes (18 adolescents: 56% female, mean age 16.0 ± 0.8 years; and 18 adults: 50% female, mean age 46.8 ± 5.1 years) were imaged by MRI at BL and at 2-year follow-up (FU). Prevalence and severity of cartilage lesions, subarticular bone marrow lesions (BMLs), subarticular cysts, osteophytes, and ligament and meniscus integrity were evaluated by sex and by age cohort (adolescents and adults) using the whole-organ MRI score (WORMS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant longitudinal changes in any of the features within any of the sex or age groups. No significant differences were found in overall prevalence or severity of any of the features between males and females, although at FU, males had a significantly higher prevalence of osteophytes in the medial femorotibial joint (MFTJ) than females (p=0.044). Compared to adolescents, adult volleyball players had a significantly greater prevalence and severity of cartilage lesions (p<0.001 for both), BMLs (p=0.0153 and p=0.005), and osteophytes (p≤0.003 and p<0.001), and more severe meniscal lesions (p≤0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found significant differences in the prevalence and severity of knee abnormalities between adolescent and adult volleyball players, but no overall differences by sex. These findings lay the groundwork for further investigations with larger cohorts and longer FU times to determine whether or not these knee abnormalities are associated with the development of OA.
authors.affiliation: Julius Wolff Institute, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. heide.boeth@charite.de.
authors.forename: Heide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boeth
authors.affiliation: Julius Wolff Institute, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Aoife
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: MacMahon
authors.affiliation: Julius Wolff Institute, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eckstein
authors.affiliation: Julius Wolff Institute, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diederichs
authors.affiliation: Julius Wolff Institute, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schlausch
authors.affiliation: Julius Wolff Institute, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.affiliation: Julius Wolff Institute, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Duda
keywords: Adolescents; Adults; Age; Athletes; Females; Knee abnormalities; Magnetic resonance imaging; Males; Osteoarthritis; Sex; Volleyball