Clinical study on improving the diagnostic accuracy of adult elbow joint cartilage injury by multisequence magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND Due to frequent and high-risk sports activities,the elbow joint is susceptible to injury,especially to cartilage tissue,which can cause pain,limited movement and even loss of joint function.AIM To evaluate magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)multisequence imaging for improving the diagnostic accuracy of adult elbow cartilage injury.METHODS A total of 60 patients diagnosed with elbow cartilage injury in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study.We analyzed the accuracy of conventional MRI sequences(T1-weighted imaging,T2-weighted imaging,proton density weighted imaging,and T2 star weighted image)and Three-Dimensional Coronary Imaging by Spiral Scanning(3D-CISS)in the diagnosis of elbow cartilage injury.Arthroscopy was used as the gold standard to evaluate the diagnostic effect of single and combination sequences in different injury degrees and the consistency with arthroscopy.RESULTS The diagnostic accuracy of 3D-CISS sequence was 89.34%±4.98%,the sensitivity was 90%,and the specificity was 88.33%,which showed the best performance among all sequences(P<0.05).The combined application of the whole sequence had the highest accuracy in all sequence combinations,the accuracy of mild injury was 91.30%,the accuracy of moderate injury was 96.15%,and the accuracy of severe injury was 93.33%(P<0.05).Compared with arthroscopy,the combination of all MRI sequences had the highest consistency of 91.67%,and the kappa value reached 0.890(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Combination of 3D-CISS and each sequence had significant advantages in improving MRI diagnostic accuracy of elbow cartilage injuries in adults.Multisequence MRI is recommended to ensure the best diagnosis and treatment.

Cells from Cow Knee Joints Used to Grow New Cartilage Tissue in Laboratory

In an effort to develop a method for cartilage tissue engineering,researchers successfully used cartilage cells from cow knee joints.By creating a successful method with conditions conducive to growing healthy cartilage tissue,the findings could help lead to a new treatment cure for osteoarthritis using stem cell-based tissue engineering.Articular cartilage is tissue that is found on all the joint surfaces in the body.Since the tissue

Second-look arthroscopic evaluation of the articular cartilage after primary single-bundle and double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions

Background Several reports have shown the progression of articular cartilage degeneration after anterior cruciate ligament （ACL） reconstruction. No report has been published about the cartilage comparing changes after single-bundle （SB） and double-bundle （DI3） ACL reconstructions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the articular cartilage changes after SB and DB ACL reconstructions by second-look arthroscopy. Methods Ninety-nine patients who received arthroscopic ACL reconstruction were retrospectively reviewed at an average of 14 months after reconstruction, 58 patients underwent SB ACL reconstruction and 41 patients underwent DB ACL reconstruction. Hamstring tendon autografts were used in all patients. Second-look arthroscopy was done in conjunction with the tibial staple fixation removal at least one year after the initial ACL reconstruction. Arthroscopic evaluation and grading of the articular cartilage degeneration for all patients were performed at the initial ACL reconstruction, and at the second-look arthroscopy. Results The average cartilage degeneration at the patellofemoral joint （PFJ） was found significantly worsened after both SB and DB ACL reconstructions. This worsening were not seen at medial tibiofemoral joint （TFJ） and lateral TFJ. Grade II cartilage damage was the most common. At second-look arthroscopy, the average patellar cartilage degeneration was 1.14±0.14 （at first look 0.52±0.11） for the SB group, and 1.22±0.15 （at first look 0.56±0.12） for the DB group. The average trochlear cartilage degeneration was 1.05±0.16 （at fist look 0.10±0.06） and 0.66±0.17 （at fist look 0.17±0.09）, respectively. The average patellar cartilage degeneration showed no significant difference in both groups. However, the average trochlea cartilage degeneration in DB group was significantly less than in SB group. Conclusions Patellofemoral cartilage degeneration continued to aggravate after ACL reconstruction. DB ACL reconstruction could significantly decrease the trochlea cartilage degeneration compared with SB ACL reconstruction.

Ultrastructural changes of TMJ articular cartilage and synovial membrane following occlusal trauma in rabbit

Objective: To study the effects of occlusal trauma on the ultra structure of synovial membrane and articular cartilage in rabbits temporomandibular joints (TMJ). Methods: TMJs from six rabbits with occlusal trauma and three control rabbits were studied by transmission electron microscopy. Results: Degenerative changes in synovial membrane and articular cartilage of TMJ were induced following occlusal trauma. The structure of the articular surface was damaged, and chondrocytes in cartilage showed signs of degeneration. The synovial lining cells contained dense accumulations of vimentin intermediate filaments (IFs), which were especially prevalent in the cellular processes as well as paranuclearly. Microvilli on the synovial cell membrane were commonly seen. The “vermiform bodies” in the deeper interstitium of the synovial tissue were also found. Our findings of the punctate adherens between synovial lining cells were described in detail. Conclusions: The occlusal trauma is really a factor inducing degenerative changes of the TMJ.