Purpose
Evaluate the change in knee cartilage thickness before and after physical activity (running) in healthy volunteers.
Methods
Ten healthy young adult male volunteers aged between 18 and 21 years old were selected to undergo MRI examination of the right knee to measure the cartilage thickness of the anterior, medial and lateral compartments before and after one hour of continuous running. Subjects must have no knee symptoms, no history of trauma or previous surgery. Cartilage thickness measurements were performed by a radiologist who did not know the identity of the volunteers or the moment of the evaluation (before or after the exercise).
Results
The subjects' mean age, height and weight were 19.5 years, 1.80 m and 75.2 kg, respectively, with a mean BMI of 23.14. There was a decrease in chondral thickness after running on all surfaces evaluated. The changes that were relevant (p < 0.05) were all the medial femoral condyle surfaces, the anterior portion of the lateral femoral condyle, the anterior portion of the lateral plateau, the entire surface of the patella and trochlea. The greatest difference in thickness between pre and post exercise was observed in the lateral facet of the patella followed by the anterior surface of the medial femoral condyle.
Conclusion
There is a decrease in knee chondral thickness after 60 minutes of running, being statistically significant in the medial femoral condyle, anterior surface of the lateral femoral condyle and lateral plateau and patellofemoral joint (patella and trochlea).