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T1Gd is reduced in bone marrow lesions overlying cartilage in the hip
Carly E Jones1, Jolanda Cibere2, Hong Qian3
1Centre for Aging SMART, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Insights
Bone marrow lesions (BMLs) are linked to hip cartilage degeneration. This study found reduced T1Gd in cartilage overlying BMLs, suggesting local damage in adults aged 20-49.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Radiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Bone marrow lesions (BMLs) are associated with painful osteoarthritis (OA).
- Cartilage degeneration near knee BMLs is documented, but not in the hip.
- Investigating hip cartilage health in relation to BMLs is crucial for understanding OA progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if T1Gd is lower in hip cartilage overlying BMLs.
- To assess the relationship between BMLs and cartilage health in the hip.
- To investigate potential differences in cartilage health between cystic and non-cystic BMLs.
Main Methods:
- 128 participants (20-49 years) from a hip pain study were recruited.
- Delayed Gadolinium Enhanced MR Imaging of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) quantified cartilage health.
- Cartilage was analyzed in regions overlying and surrounding BMLs, compared to controls.
Main Results:
- Mean T1Gd was lower in cartilage overlying BMLs compared to controls (acetabular: -105 ms; femoral: -8 ms).
- Cartilage overlying cystic BMLs showed lower T1Gd than non-cystic BMLs, though with wide confidence intervals.
Conclusions:
- Reduced T1Gd in hip cartilage overlying BMLs suggests local degeneration.
- BMLs are associated with cartilage damage in the hip joint.
- Further research may clarify the impact of BML subtypes on cartilage health.
Objective:
Bone Marrow Lesions (BMLs) are areas in bone with high fluid signal on MRI associated with painful and progressive OA. While cartilage near BMLs in the knee has been shown to be degenerated, this relationship has not been investigated in the hip.
Research Question:
is T1Gd lower in areas of cartilage overlying BMLs in the hip?
Design:
128 participants were recruited from a population-based study of hip pain in 20-49-year-olds. Proton-density weighted fat-suppressed and delayed Gadolinium Enhanced MR Imaging of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) images were acquired to locate BMLs and quantify hip cartilage health. BML and cartilage images were registered and cartilage was separated into BML overlying and surrounding regions. Mean T1Gd was measured in 32 participants with BMLs in both cartilage regions and in matched regions in 32 age- and sex-matched controls. Mean T1Gd in the overlying cartilage was compared using linear mixed-effects models between BML and control groups for acetabular and femoral BMLs, and between cystic and non-cystic BML groups.
Results:
Mean T1Gd of overlying cartilage was lower in the BML group compared to the control group (acetabular: -105 ms; 95% CI: -175, -35; femoral: -8 ms; 95% CI: -141, 124). Mean T1Gd in overlying cartilage was lower in cystic compared to non-cystic BML subjects, but the confidence interval is too large to provide certainty in this difference (-3 [95% CI: -126, 121]).
Conclusions:
T1Gd is reduced in overlying cartilage in hips from a population-based sample of adults aged 20-49, which suggests BMLs are associated with local cartilage degeneration in hips.
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