Assessment of the relationship between patellar cartilage cross-sectional area and early grades of chondromalacia patellae using magnetic resonance imaging

Objectives: Chondromalacia patellae (CMP) remains one of the most common causes of knee pain, which is associated with swelling of the cartilage in early stages. Our study aims to radiologically assess this swelling by measuring cartilage cross-sectional area, comparing the parameter with controls, and identifying its relationship with the presence of early grades of CMP using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Material and Methods: Patellar cartilage cross-sectional area was measured in a total of 55 knees with early grade CMP using MRI, and the values were compared with a reference group consisting of 55 age- and gender-matched individuals. Results: The mean patellar cartilage cross-sectional area (PCCA) in patients with early grades of CMP was 170.08 ± 28.74 mm 2 . The area was significantly higher in comparison to the control group (126.63 ± 16.92 mm 2 ). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis yielded a cut-off of 146.5 mm 2 demonstrating a sensitivity of 76.4% and a specificity of 90.9%, in the prediction of early changes of CMP. Conclusion: MRI reflects the pathological changes occurring in the early stages of chondromalacia through an increase in PCCA, making its measurement useful for early detection and confirmation of the diagnosis.