Cartilage Deformation, Outcomes, and Running Force Comparisons in Females With and Without Knee Injuries

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a significant risk factor for developing knee osteoarthritis (OA).
• Currently, no treatments exist to halt OA progression, making understanding joint responses to physical activity post-ACLR crucial.
• Investigating knee cartilage deformation via ultrasound may elucidate how cartilage responds to running and its role in OA pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare medial femoral cartilage deformation, patient-reported outcomes, and biomechanical forces during running between females with and without a history of unilateral ACLR.
• To assess the relationship between cartilage changes and functional outcomes in individuals post-ACLR.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional laboratory study involving 16 female participants (8 with ACLR history, 8 controls).
• Measurements included patient-reported outcomes (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score - KOOS), medial femoral cartilage thickness changes via ultrasound, and vertical ground reaction forces during treadmill running.
• Nonparametric statistical analyses were employed with a significance level of P ≤ .05.

Main Results:

• All participants demonstrated a reduction in cartilage thickness after 30 minutes of running, with no significant differences between the ACLR and control groups.
• No significant group or limb differences were found in cartilage deformation, vertical ground reaction forces, or vertical loading rates.
• Participants with ACLR reported significantly poorer outcomes across all KOOS subscales compared to controls.
• Moderate negative correlations were observed between cartilage deformation and KOOS scores for Symptoms and Sport/Recreation.

Conclusions:

• Running leads to significant cartilage thinning in all individuals, irrespective of ACLR status.
• Despite similar objective cartilage responses to running, individuals with ACLR experience poorer subjective knee function.
• Further research into the correlation between patient-reported outcomes and cartilage response to activity is warranted to develop strategies for mitigating OA risk post-ACLR.