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Updated: Jan 14, 2026
Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Skeletal Muscle Disease
Published on: December 18, 2016
Exercise-related changes in knee articular structures detected using magnetic resonance imaging T1ρ and T2 mapping
Keita Nagawa1, Hirokazu Shimizu1, Saki Tsuchihashi1
1Department of Radiology, Saitama Medical University, 38 Morohongou, Moroyama-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama, Japan.
Purpose:
To evaluate the changes in various knee joint structures before and after physical activities using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1ρ and T2 mapping.
Methods:
MRI of the right knee was performed for 12 healthy volunteers before and after jumping rope, flexion and extension, and at rest. Different parts of articular cartilage, anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, medial and lateral meniscus, gastrocnemius muscle and Hoffa's fat pad were quantitatively assessed based on T1ρ and T2 values. A paired t-test was performed to determine whether the effects of various activities on different parts of the knee articular structures were statistically different.
Results:
The T1ρ values for the lateral meniscus decreased, while both T1ρ and T2 values for the gastrocnemius muscle increased after jumping rope. No statistically significant differences were observed in the other parts of the meniscus, cruciate ligaments, and Hoffa's fat pad. The T1ρ and T2 values for the weight-bearing cartilages of the femur and tibia were both reduced after jumping rope. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in the cartilage after flexion and extension or at rest.
Conclusions:
MRI T1ρ and T2 mapping can be used to evaluate the changes in various joint structures before and after physical activities. These changes in knee tissue were hypothesized to reflect variations in tissue fluid, collagen fibers, and proteoglycan content. Further studies are required to investigate the influence of exercise on articular structures using MRI mapping techniques.
