Association of changes in delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) with changes in cartilage thickness in the medial tibiofemoral compartment of the knee: a 2 year follow-up study using 3.0 T MRI

Objective To determine the association between changes in the delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) index over 2 years as a measure of cartilage proteoglycan concentration, with changes in cartilage thickness in the medial tibiofemoral compartment of knees in middle-aged women. Methods One hundred and forty-eight women (one knee for each subject) aged ≥40 years were included. 3.0 T MR images of the knee were acquired at baseline, 1 year and 2 years. Three-dimensional (3D) spoiled gradient recalled echo (SPGR) sequences (for cartilage thickness) and 3D inversion recovery-prepared SPGR sequences after dGEMRIC were acquired. Segmentation was performed in the medial central (weight-bearing) femur and tibia to determine cartilage proteoglycan concentration and thickness. The association of change in the dGEMRIC indices between baseline and 1-year follow-up with (a) concomitant changes in cartilage thickness and (b) change in cartilage thickness between 1 and 2 years was assessed using linear regression. Results In the whole-sample model, a decrease in dGEMRIC indices over time at the central medial femur significantly predicted an increase in cartilage thickness at both the central medial femur (p=0.008) and the medial tibia (p=0.04). Conclusions A decrease in dGEMRIC indices was associated with an increase in cartilage thickness in the medial compartment. Our results suggest that an increase in cartilage thickness may also be related to a decrease in proteoglycan concentration, which may represent swelling of cartilage in early stages of degeneration.

[1]  G. Antoch,et al.  Magnetic resonance imaging and histology of ovine hip joint cartilage in two age populations: a sheep model with assumed healthy cartilage , 2013, Skeletal Radiology.

[2]  Gerald Antoch,et al.  Validity of gradient-echo three-dimensional delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of hip joint cartilage: a histologically controlled study. , 2013, European journal of radiology.

[3]  Miika T Nieminen,et al.  Evaluation of chondral repair using quantitative MRI , 2012, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[4]  Ali Guermazi,et al.  Prevalence of abnormalities in knees detected by MRI in adults without knee osteoarthritis: population based observational study (Framingham Osteoarthritis Study) , 2012, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[5]  S Majumdar,et al.  Baseline mean and heterogeneity of MR cartilage T2 are associated with morphologic degeneration of cartilage, meniscus, and bone marrow over 3 years--data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. , 2012, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[6]  H C Charles,et al.  Clinical, radiographic, molecular and MRI-based predictors of cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis , 2011, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[7]  L. Price,et al.  Change in knee osteoarthritis cartilage detected by delayed gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging following treatment with collagen hydrolysate: a pilot randomized controlled trial. , 2011, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[8]  Michael Sabel,et al.  Comparison of 18F-FET PET and 5-ALA fluorescence in cerebral gliomas , 2011, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

[9]  T. Mosher,et al.  Articular cartilage in the knee: current MR imaging techniques and applications in clinical practice and research. , 2011, Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.

[10]  Frédéric Baribaud,et al.  Femorotibial subchondral bone area and regional cartilage thickness: A cross‐sectional description in healthy reference cases and various radiographic stages of osteoarthritis in 1,003 knees from the Osteoarthritis Initiative , 2010, Arthritis care & research.

[11]  A Guermazi,et al.  Pre-radiographic MRI findings are associated with onset of knee symptoms: the most study. , 2010, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[12]  F Eckstein,et al.  Osteoarthritis may not be a one-way-road of cartilage loss--comparison of spatial patterns of cartilage change between osteoarthritic and healthy knees. , 2010, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[13]  H C Charles,et al.  Subregional femorotibial cartilage morphology in women--comparison between healthy controls and participants with different grades of radiographic knee osteoarthritis. , 2009, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[14]  Deborah Burstein,et al.  Measures of molecular composition and structure in osteoarthritis. , 2009, Radiologic clinics of North America.

[15]  Richard Kijowski,et al.  Comparison of 1.5- and 3.0-T MR imaging for evaluating the articular cartilage of the knee joint. , 2009, Radiology.

[16]  F Eckstein,et al.  Regional analysis of femorotibial cartilage loss in a subsample from the Osteoarthritis Initiative progression subcohort. , 2009, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[17]  T. Schnitzer,et al.  Change in regional cartilage morphology and joint space width in osteoarthritis participants versus healthy controls: a multicentre study using 3.0 Tesla MRI and Lyon–Schuss radiography , 2008, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[18]  Carl Johan Tiderius,et al.  Association between findings on delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage and future knee osteoarthritis. , 2008, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[19]  Felix Eckstein,et al.  A Technique for Regional Analysis of Femorotibial Cartilage Thickness Based on Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging.

[20]  H C Charles,et al.  Precision of 3.0 Tesla quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage morphology in a multicentre clinical trial , 2008, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[21]  T. Schnitzer,et al.  Head-to-head comparison of the Lyon Schuss and fixed flexion radiographic techniques. Long-term reproducibility in normal knees and sensitivity to change in osteoarthritic knees , 2008, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[22]  Johanne Martel-Pelletier,et al.  Risk factors associated with the loss of cartilage volume on weight-bearing areas in knee osteoarthritis patients assessed by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging: a longitudinal study , 2007, Arthritis research & therapy.

[23]  A. Guermazi,et al.  The reliability of a new scoring system for knee osteoarthritis MRI and the validity of bone marrow lesion assessment: BLOKS (Boston–Leeds Osteoarthritis Knee Score) , 2007, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[24]  D. Burstein,et al.  Delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the meniscus: an index of meniscal tissue degeneration? , 2007, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[25]  Charles A McKenzie,et al.  Delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage in knee osteoarthritis: findings at different radiographic stages of disease and relationship to malalignment. , 2005, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[26]  Felix Eckstein,et al.  Accuracy and precision of quantitative assessment of cartilage morphology by magnetic resonance imaging at 3.0T. , 2005, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[27]  F Eckstein,et al.  Double echo steady state magnetic resonance imaging of knee articular cartilage at 3 Tesla: a pilot study for the Osteoarthritis Initiative , 2005, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[28]  T. Vail,et al.  A comparative assessment of alignment angle of the knee by radiographic and physical examination methods. , 2005, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[29]  Ching-Chuan Jiang,et al.  Relationship of chondrocyte apoptosis to matrix degradation and swelling potential of osteoarthritic cartilage. , 2005, Journal of the Formosan Medical Association = Taiwan yi zhi.

[30]  H. Genant,et al.  Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS) of the knee in osteoarthritis. , 2004, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[31]  Deborah Burstein,et al.  Relaxivity and diffusion of gadolinium agents in cartilage , 2002, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[32]  D. Burstein,et al.  MRI Techniques in Early Stages of Cartilage Disease , 2000, Investigative radiology.

[33]  D. Burstein,et al.  Nondestructive imaging of human cartilage glycosaminoglycan concentration by MRI , 1999, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[34]  R. E. Outerbridge,et al.  The problem of chondromalacia patellae. , 1975, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[35]  R. E. Outerbridge.  The etiology of chondromalacia patellae. , 1961, The Journal of bone and joint surgery. British volume.

[36]  J. Kellgren,et al.  Radiological Assessment of Osteo-Arthrosis , 1957, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[37]  Bruce C. Po,et al.  Glycosaminoglycan distribution in cartilage as determined by delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC): potential clinical applications. , 2004, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.