Relationship between knee alignment and T1ρ values of articular cartilage and menisci in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship between knee alignment and subregional T1ρ values of the femorotibial cartilage and menisci in patients with mild (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1) to moderate (KL3) osteoarthritis (OA) at 3T.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

26 subjects with a clinical diagnosis of KL1-3 OA were included and subdivided into three subgroups: varus, valgus, and neutral. All subjects were evaluated on a 3T MR scanner. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were performed to determine any statistically significant differences in subregional T1ρ values of femorotibial cartilage and menisci among the three subgroups of KL1-3 OA patients.

RESULTS

Medial femoral anterior cartilage subregion in varus group had significantly higher (p<0.05) T1ρ values than all cartilage subregions in valgus group. Medial tibial central cartilage subregion had significantly higher T1ρ values (p<0.05) than lateral tibial central cartilage subregion in varus group. The posterior horn of the medial meniscus in neutral group had significantly higher T1ρ values (p<0.0029) than all meniscus subregions in valgus group.

CONCLUSION

There exists some degree of association between knee alignment and subregional T1ρ values of femorotibial cartilage and menisci in patients with clinical OA.