Objective To evaluate the correlation between T2* relaxation time and the pathological changes in the knee joint of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and analyze the changes of T2* relaxation time in early cartilage injury. Methods Sixty-two patients with OA in different phases underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee and the articular cartilage T2* relaxation time was recorded, with 20 young healthy volunteers as the control group. Results Patients with mild OA showed significantly different T2* relaxation time for most of the articular cartilage from that of the healthy volunteers (P0.05), but no such difference was found between serious OA group and the healthy volunteers. The change of T2* relaxation time of the cartilage was also associated with age, weight and body height, and the potential effects of other factors could not be excluded. Conclusion The articular cartilage shows no obvious morphological changes in early OA of the knee, a stage characterized mostly by alterations of the tissue structure and compositions. Cartilage pathologies can be the most obvious on the weight-bearing surface of the medial condyle of the femur or in the patella. T2* relaxation time measurement can be helpful in the detection of early cartilage pathologies.%目的 利用T2*GRE多回波序列对膝关节OA各期软骨弛豫时间进行测量,与正常组软骨T2*弛豫时间测量值对比,评价OA患者病变进程与T2*弛豫时间变化的相关性;同时评价早期软骨损伤T2*弛豫时间的改变.方法 62例OA患者行膝关节MRI检查,利用T2*GRE多回波序列测量不同部位关节软骨的厚度.并与20名对照组膝关节MRI检查结果进行比较.结果 轻度OA组大部分关节软骨区域其T2*弛豫时间测量与正常组之间存在统计学差异(P<0.05),而重度OA组大部分软骨区域T2*弛豫时间测量与正常组比较不存在统计学差异.软骨T2*弛豫时间变化与年龄、体质量及身高之间存在关联,T2*弛豫时间变化可能受到多方面因素的影响.结论 OA病变早期关节软骨形态改变不明显,主要以软骨组织结构及成分的改变,以股骨内侧髁负重面及髌骨软骨病变为主.T2*弛豫时间测量能够发现一些早期病变或软骨内在性病变.
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