Primary anterior cruciate ligament repair —morphological and quantitative assessment by 7-T MRI and clinical outcome after 1.5 years

ConclusionT2 mapping results suggest that the tissue composition of the ACL after repair is similar to that of a native ACL after surgery, whereas the ACL exhibits an increased width. Fraying of the ACL can occur without having any impact on functional outcomes. T2* analysis revealed early degradation at the cartilage.Clinical relevance statementMRI represents a noninvasive diagnostic tool for the morphological and compositional assessment of the anterior cruciate ligament after repair, whereas knowledge about post-surgical alterations is crucial for adequate imaging interpretation.Key Points• There has been renewed interest in repairing the anterior cruciate ligament with a proximally torn ligament.• T2 times of the anterior cruciate ligament do not differ between anterior cruciate ligament repair patients and controls.• T2 mapping may serve as a surrogate for the evaluation of the anterior cruciate ligament after repair.
Source: European Radiology - Category: Radiology Source Type: research