Exploratory analysis of the 2-year changes in knee cartilage thickness and transverse relaxation time (T2) in ACL-injured versus healthy participants

Key Points

• Cartilage thinning is significantly greater in ACL-injured knees compared to healthy ones, indicating early signs of osteoarthritis.
• The study identified key metrics for cartilage thickness and T2 changes over two years, emphasizing the relevance of these measures.
• An observational analysis compared knee cartilage metrics between ACL-injured and healthy participants over a two-year period.
• These findings highlight the importance of establishing thresholds for cartilage health to detect early osteoarthritis.