Table 3. Between-group differences in total FTJ cartilage transverse relaxation time (T2; deep and SF), and cLF longitudinal T2 (deep) over the one-year follow-up period.
| Study group | Healthy | Copers vs. healthy | Non-copers vs. healthy | ACL-recon. vs. healthy | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SRM) | 95% CI | Mean (SRM) | MD | 95% CI | P value | Mean (SRM) | MD | 95% CI | P value | Mean (SRM) | MD | 95% CI | P value | ||||
| Manual segmentation | |||||||||||||||||
| Deep FTJ | 0.5 (0.18) | −1.0 to 1.9 | 0.0 (0.02) | −0.4 | −2.9 to 2.0 | 0.98 | 0.8 (0.25) | 0.3 | −2.2 to 2.8 | 1.00 | 0.3 (0.12) | −0.2 | −2.9 to 2.5 | 0.45 | |||
| Deep cLF | 1.6 (0.73) | 0.3 to 2.8 | 1.2 (0.64) | −0.4 | −2.4 to 1.7 | 1.00 | 0.4 (0.13) | −1.2 | −3.3 to 0.9 | 1.00 | 1.1 (0.95) | −0.5 | −2.7 to 1.8 | 0.20 | |||
| SF FTJ | 0.6 (0.46) | −0.1 to 1.3 | 0.1 (0.10) | −0.5 | −2.0 to 1.1 | 1.00 | −0.1 (−0.03) | −0.6 | −2.3 to 1.0 | 1.00 | 0.2 (0.12) | −0.4 | −2.1 to 1.4 | 1.00 | |||
| 7-echoes CNN | |||||||||||||||||
| Deep FTJ | 0.3 (0.13) | −1.1 to 1.7 | 0.0 (0.02) | −0.3 | −2.7 to 2.1 | 1.00 | 0.6 (0.19) | 0.3 | −2.2 to 2.8 | 1.00 | 0.5 (0.24) | 0.2 | −2.5 to 2.9 | 1.00 | |||
| Deep cLF | 1.2 (0.76) | 0.3 to 2.1 | 1.2 (0.91) | 0.0 | −1.6 to 1.6 | 1.00 | 0.4 (0.18) | −0.8 | −2.5 to 0.9 | 1.00 | 0.9 (0.65) | −0.3 | −2.1 to 1.5 | 0.49 | |||
| SF FTJ | 0.6 (0.65) | 0.1 to 1.1 | 0.0 (−0.02) | −0.6 | −2.2 to 1.0 | 1.00 | 0.1 (0.07) | −0.4 | −2.1 to 1.2 | 1.00 | 0.0 (−0.01) | −0.6 | −2.4 to 1.2 | 1.00 | |||
Mean longitudinal change given for healthy subjects, with 95% CI and ACL-injured groups, and the MD, 95% CI and P value compared with healthy subjects. No statistically significant differences in longitudinal change were observed between any of the groups. FTJ, total (weight-bearing) femorotibial joint; T2, transverse relaxation time; SF, superficial; cLF, central lateral weight-bearing femoral; ACL, anterior cruciate ligament; SRM, standardized response mean, mean change divided by the SD of the change over time; CI, confidence interval; MD, mean difference; recon., surgically reconstructed; Deep FTJ, deep cartilage of the femorotibial joint; Deep cLF, deep cartilage of the weight-bearing lateral femur; SF FTJ, superficial cartilage of the FTJ; SD, standard deviation.