Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Skeletal Radiology
Published in: Skeletal Radiology 7/2022

01-07-2022 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging | Review Article

Acute changes in knee cartilage and meniscus following long-distance running in habituate runners: a systematic review on studies using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

Authors: Dingbo Shu, Feng Chen, Wentong Guo, Jianping Ding, Siyu Dai

Published in: Skeletal Radiology | Issue 7/2022

Login to get access

Abstract

Objective

Running is among the most popular recreational activities; nonetheless, the acute post-race changes of cartilage or meniscus have rarely been determined. The current study aimed to review the acute changes in knee cartilage and meniscus among habituate runners following long-distance running detected by using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials and methods

Systematic literature search was performed on those dominate clinical databases which including MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. Included studies should be conducted on healthy marathon runners, and the participants should be examined before and after running by using MRI. Intervention studies were excluded.

Results

A total number of 14 studies were finally included in this review which all examined the cartilage or meniscus by using MRI functional sequences. Among them, six studies quantitatively measured the changes regarding volume of the knee cartilage or/and meniscus. Five studies found that the volume would decrease initially after running. Ten studies reported T2 (T2*) would decrease after running and returned to the baseline in a short term, while T1ρ may remain increased in months. Five studies measured subareas for T2 (T2*) value, and found that the superficial and medial subarea changed more vastly than other regions after running.

Conclusion

Runners experience transient changes in the volume and signals of knee cartilage and meniscus after long-distance running. A liquid exchange and material interaction in cartilage and meniscus was observed after running. Superficial and medial areas of knee cartilage and meniscus might be more susceptible to mechanical loading.
Literature
1.
Schueller-Weidekamm C, Schueller G, Uffmann M, Bader T. Incidence of chronic knee lesions in long-distance runners based on training level: findings at MRI. Eur J Radiol. 2006;58(2):286–93.CrossRef
2.
Subburaj K, Kumar D, Souza RB, Alizai H, Li X, Link TM, Majumdar S. The acute effect of running on knee articular cartilage and meniscus magnetic resonance relaxation times in young healthy adults. Am J Sports Med. 2012;40(9):2134–41.CrossRef
3.
Souza RB, Stehling C, Wyman BT, Hellio Le Graverand MP, Li X, Link TM, Majumdar S. The effects of acute loading on T1rho and T2 relaxation times of tibiofemoral articular cartilage. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2010;18(12):1557–63.
4.
Chen M, Qiu L, Shen S, Wang F, Zhang J, Zhang C, Liu S. The influences of walking, running and stair activity on knee articular cartilage: quantitative MRI using T1 rho and T2 mapping. PLoS One. 2017;12(11): e0187008.
5.
Horisberger M, Fortuna R, Valderrabano V, Herzog W. Long-term repetitive mechanical loading of the knee joint by in vivo muscle stimulation accelerates cartilage degeneration and increases chondrocyte death in a rabbit model. Clin Biomech. 2013;28(5):536–43.CrossRef
6.
Smith RL, Carter DR, Schurman DJ. Pressure and shear differentially alter human articular chondrocyte metabolism: a review. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2004;(427 Suppl):S89–95.
7.
Fang T, Zhou X, Jin M, Nie J, Li X. Molecular mechanisms of mechanical load-induced osteoarthritis. Int Orthop. 2021;45(5):1125–36.CrossRef
8.
Alentorn-Geli E, Samuelsson K, Musahl V, Green CL, Bhandari M, Karlsson J. The association of recreational and competitive running with hip and knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(6):373–90.CrossRef
9.
Subburaj K, Kumar D, Souza RB, et al. The acute effect of running on knee articular cartilage and meniscus magnetic resonance relaxation times in young healthy adults. Am J Sports Med. 2012;40(9):2134–41.CrossRef
10.
Liu B, Lad NK, Collins AT, et al. In vivo tibial cartilage strains in regions of cartilage-to-cartilage contact and cartilage-to-meniscus contact in response to walking. Am J Sports Med. 2017;45(12):2817–23.CrossRef
11.
McCann L, Ingham E, Jin Z, Fisher J. Influence of the meniscus on friction and degradation of cartilage in the natural knee joint. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2009;17(8):995–1000.CrossRef
12.
Chen S, Fu P, Wu H, Pei M. Meniscus, articular cartilage and nucleus pulposus: a comparative review of cartilage-like tissues in anatomy, development and function. Cell Tissue Res. 2017;370(1):53–70.CrossRef
13.
Kleemann RU, Krocker D, Cedraro A, Tuischer J, Duda GN. Altered cartilage mechanics and histology in knee osteoarthritis: relation to clinical assessment (ICRS Grade). Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2005;13(11):958–63.CrossRef
14.
Liess C, Lüsse S, Karger N, Heller M, Glüer CC. Detection of changes in cartilage water content using MRI T2-mapping in vivo. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2002;10(12):907–13.CrossRef
15.
Sophia Fox AJ, Bedi A, Rodeo SA. The basic science of articular cartilage: structure, composition, and function. Sports Health. 2009;1(6):461–8.CrossRef
16.
Van Breuseghem I. Ultrastructural MR imaging techniques of the knee articular cartilage: problems for routine clinical application. Eur Radiol. 2004;14(2):184–92.CrossRef
17.
Tao H, Qiao Y, Hu Y, et al. Quantitative T2-mapping and T2⁎-mapping evaluation of changes in cartilage matrix after acute anterior cruciate ligament rupture and the correlation between the results of both methods. Biomed Res Int. 2018;2018:7985672.PubMedPubMedCentral
18.
Behzadi C, Welsch GH, Laqmani A, et al. The immediate effect of long-distance running on T2 and T2* relaxation times of articular cartilage of the knee in young healthy adults at 3.0 T MR imaging. Br J Radiol. 2016;89(1064):20151075.
19.
Bolbos RI, Link TM, Ma CB, Majumdar S, Li X. T1rho relaxation time of the meniscus and its relationship with T1rho of adjacent cartilage in knees with acute ACL injuries at 3 T. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2009;17(1):12–8.CrossRef
20.
Rauscher I, Stahl R, Cheng J, et al. Meniscal measurements of T1rho and T2 at MR imaging in healthy subjects and patients with osteoarthritis. Radiology. 2008;249(2):591–600.CrossRef
21.
Wheaton AJ, Dodge GR, Elliott DM, Nicoll SB, Reddy R. Quantification of cartilage biomechanical and biochemical properties via T1rho magnetic resonance imaging. Magn Reson Med. 2005;54(5):1087–93.CrossRef
22.
Li X, Pai A, Blumenkrantz G, et al. Spatial distribution and relationship of T1rho and T2 relaxation times in knee cartilage with osteoarthritis. Magn Reson Med. 2009;61(6):1310–8.CrossRef
23.
Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, et al. Updated guidance for trusted systematic reviews: a new edition of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;10:ED000142.
24.
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG; PRISMA Group. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med. 2009;6(7):e1000097.
25.
Stang A. Critical evaluation of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for the assessment of the quality of nonrandomized studies in meta-analyses. Eur J Epidemiol. 2010;25(9):603–5.CrossRef
26.
Zhang P, Yu B, Zhang R, et al. Longitudinal study of the morphological and T2* changes of knee cartilages of marathon runners using prototype software for automatic cartilage segmentation. Br J Radiol. 2021;94(1119):20200833.CrossRef
27.
Kessler MA, Glaser C, Tittel S, Reiser M, Imhoff AB. Recovery of the menisci and articular cartilage of runners after cessation of exercise: additional aspects of in vivo investigation based on 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging. Am J Sports Med. 2008;36(5):966–70.CrossRef
28.
Mosher TJ, Liu Y, Torok CM. Functional cartilage MRI T2 mapping: evaluating the effect of age and training on knee cartilage response to running. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2010;18(3):358–64.CrossRef
29.
Kersting UG, Stubendorff JJ, Schmidt MC, Brüggemann GP. Changes in knee cartilage volume and serum COMP concentration after running exercise. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2005;13(10):925–34.CrossRef
30.
Willwacher S, Mählich D, Trudeau MB, et al. The habitual motion path theory: evidence from cartilage volume reductions in the knee joint after 75 minutes of running. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):1363.CrossRef
31.
Kessler MA, Glaser C, Tittel S, Reiser M, Imhoff AB. Volume changes in the menisci and articular cartilage of runners: an in vivo investigation based on 3-D magnetic resonance imaging. Am J Sports Med. 2006;34(5):832–6.CrossRef
32.
Luke AC, Stehling C, Stahl R, et al. High-field magnetic resonance imaging assessment of articular cartilage before and after marathon running: does long-distance running lead to cartilage damage? Am J Sports Med. 2010;38(11):2273–80.CrossRef
33.
Stehling C, Luke A, Stahl R, et al. Meniscal T1rho and T2 measured with 3.0T MRI increases directly after running a marathon. Skeletal Radiol. 2011;40(6):725–35.
34.
Crowder HA, Mazzoli V, Black MS, et al. Characterizing the transient response of knee cartilage to running: decreases in cartilage T2 of female recreational runners. J Orthop Res. 2021.
35.
Cha JG, Lee JC, Kim HJ, et al. Comparison of MRI T2 relaxation changes of knee articular cartilage before and after running between young and old amateur athletes. Korean J Radiol. 2012;13(5):594–601.CrossRef
36.
Esculier JF, Jarrett M, Krowchuk NM, et al. Cartilage recovery in runners with and without knee osteoarthritis: a pilot study. Knee. 2019;26(5):1049–57.CrossRef
37.
Heckelman LN, Smith WAR, Riofrio AD, et al. Quantifying the biochemical state of knee cartilage in response to running using T1rho magnetic resonance imaging. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):1870.CrossRef
38.
Wang Z, Ai S, Tian F, et al. Higher body mass index is associated with biochemical changes in knee articular cartilage after marathon running: a quantitative T2-relaxation MRI study. Orthop J Sports Med. 2020;8(8):2325967120943874.CrossRef
39.
Hesper T, Miese FR, Hosalkar HS, et al. Quantitative T2(*) assessment of knee joint cartilage after running a marathon. Eur J Radiol. 2015;84(2):284–9.CrossRef
40.
Boocock M, McNair P, Cicuttini F, Stuart A, Sinclair T. The short-term effects of running on the deformation of knee articular cartilage and its relationship to biomechanical loads at the knee. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2009;17(7):883–90.CrossRef
41.
Qiu L, Perez J, Emerson C, et al. Biochemical changes in knee articular cartilage of novice half-marathon runners. J Int Med Res. 2019;47(11):5671–9.CrossRef
42.
Nag D, Liney GP, Gillespie P, Sherman KP. Quantification of T(2) relaxation changes in articular cartilage with in situ mechanical loading of the knee. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2004;19(3):317–22.CrossRef
43.
Otterness IG, Eckstein F. Women have thinner cartilage and smaller joint surfaces than men after adjustment for body height and weight. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2007;15(6):666–72.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Acute changes in knee cartilage and meniscus following long-distance running in habituate runners: a systematic review on studies using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging
Authors
Dingbo Shu
Feng Chen
Wentong Guo
Jianping Ding
Siyu Dai
Publication date
01-07-2022
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Skeletal Radiology / Issue 7/2022
Print ISSN: 0364-2348
Electronic ISSN: 1432-2161
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-021-03943-0

Other articles of this Issue 7/2022

Skeletal Radiology 7/2022 Go to the issue

Scientific Article

Piriformis syndrome: muscle thickness or volume does not correlate with response to CT-guided injection

Scientific Article

Computed tomography-based body composition profile as a screening tool for geriatric frailty detection

Scientific Article

Juxtaneural ganglia arising from the hip joint: focus on magnetic resonance imaging findings and clinical manifestations

Scientific Article

Diagnostic ultrasound of tendon injuries in the setting of distal radius fractures

Scientific Article

Novel anterior coracoglenoid line utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) corresponds with critical glenoid bone loss

Technical Report

Improving visualization of the articular cartilage of the knee with magnetic resonance imaging under axial traction: a comparative study of different traction weights