Abstract
Forty-six knees of 28 male and 18 female patients who were between 14 and 49-years-old (average 26.5-years-old), had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) graft from 1996 to 2001. The interval from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) varied from 1 to 51 months (average 10.1 months). We studied the differences in signal intensity on T1-and T2-weighted (T1W and T2W)MRI to evaluate autografts after ACL reconstruction. In 11 of the knees followed up more than 13 months after ACL reconstruction, we also analyzed the relation between MRI signal intensity and KT-2000 knee arthrometer measurements, between MRI signal intensity and Lysholm Score.
Between 1 and 3 months after the operations low signal intensity was reported in 56% of T1W and in 78% of T2W images. Between 4 and 12 months, middle signal intensity was reported in 81% of T1W and in 78% of T2W images. After more than 13 months, low signal intensity was reported in 64% of T1W and in 73% of T2W images. Significant difference was not recognized between MRI signal intensity and KT-2000 knee arthrometer measurements, between MRI signal intensity and Lysholm Score.
In summary, autografts tended to show low intensity from 1 to 3 months after the operations, and from 4 to 12 months the intensity strengthened, and again weakened after 13 months. Signal intensity and the clinical score did not correlate.
