ArticlePloS one2025
3D-MRI evaluation of cartilage thickness changes and their location in the patellofemoral joint after open wedge high tibial osteotomy for knee osteoarthritis: A retrospective cohort study.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Hybrid closed wedge high tibial osteotomy is associated with short-term arthroscopic changes in the patellofemoral joint.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
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9 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOpen wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) has been widely established as a safe surgical procedure for medial compartmental knee osteoarthritis. However, concerns remain regarding the progression of patellofemoral (PF) osteoarthritis following surgery. Recent advances in 3D-MRI analysis have enabled quantitative cartilage thickness measurement. We hypothesized that OWHTO would result in measurable decreases in the PF joint cartilage thickness, predominantly medially and detectable using quantitative 3D-MRI. This study evaluated the clinical utility of quantitative 3D-MRI for assessing PF joint cartilage changes before and after OWHTO.
methodsPatients were included if they had undergone OWHTO without lateral retinacular release for medial osteoarthritis and had both the preoperative and post-hardware-removal 3D-MRI datasets required for this analysis. Radiographic evaluations were performed before and after OWHTO. Trochlear and patellar cartilage thicknesses were measured from 3D-MRI images at both time points. Changes exceeding 0.1 mm (the validated measurement precision threshold) were considered significant. To assess cartilage loss location, each 3D image was divided into medial, central, and lateral thirds. Superimposed images were observed to determine spatial correspondence of the cartilage defects.
resultsIn total, 13 knees from 13 patients (median age 55 [32-74] years) were evaluated. Postoperatively, patellar height and lateral tilt significantly decreased (p < 0.001 for both). Of these 13 cases, 7 (54%) showed thickness reductions exceeding 0.1 mm in the trochlear cartilage, and 7 cases showed reductions in the patellar cartilage, with 4 cases showing reductions in both. All cases demonstrated predominantly medial thickness decreases (p = 0.008). Of the 3 cases with patellar cartilage defects, 2 cases showed spatial correspondence with trochlear defects.
conclusionsQuantitative 3D-MRI analysis revealed significant cartilage thickness decreases after OWHTO, predominantly in the medial aspect of the PF joint. This method proved useful for evaluating postoperative PF joint changes and detecting cartilage defect locations.
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