Abstract #1145

Cluster Analysis of Cartilage T2 and T1rho Relaxation Times: Can the Contralateral Knee be used as a Control in the ACL-injured population?

Uchechukwuka Monu^1,2, Emily McWalter³, Caroline Jordan⁴, Brian Hargreaves^1,2,5, and Garry Gold^2,5

¹Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States, ²Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States, ³Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, SK, Canada, ⁴Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, CA, United States, ⁵Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States

In an ACL-injured population, longitudinal studies that use advanced MRI techniques such as T2 and T1rho mapping to assess cartilage health, typically compare ACL-injured knees with a separate healthy group or the contralateral knees. It is still unclear whether the contralateral knees can be used as a control group. Using a cluster analysis-based technique, we identify in the contralateral knees, significant increase in T1rho relaxation times over 1-year that is comparable to the increase in the ACL-injured knees. These focal cluster areas may represent degenerative changes and demonstrate that the contralateral knees may not be good controls.

This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.

Join Here