Objective

To evaluate changes in the knee joints of asymptomatic first-time marathon runners, using 3.0 T MRI, 6 months after finishing marathon training and run.

Materials and methods

Six months after their participation in a baseline study regarding their knee joints, 44 asymptomatic novice marathoners (17 males, 27 females, mean age 46 years old) agreed to participate in a repeat MRI investigation: 37 completed both a standardized 4-month-long training programme and the marathon (marathon runners); and 7 dropped out during training (pre-race dropouts). The participants already underwent bilateral 3.0 T MRIs: 6 months before and 2 weeks after their first marathon, the London Marathon 2017. This study was a follow-up assessment of their knee joints. Each knee structure was assessed using validated scoring/grading systems at all time points.

Results

Two weeks after the marathon, 3 pre-marathon bone marrow lesions and 2 cartilage lesions showed decrease in radiological score on MRI, and the improvement was sustained at the 6-month follow-up. New improvements were observed on MRI at follow-up: 5 pre-existing bone marrow lesions and 3 cartilage lesions that remained unchanged immediately after the marathon reduced in their extent 6 months later.

No further lesions appeared at follow-up, and the 2-week post-marathon lesions showed signs of reversibility: 10 of 18 bone marrow oedema-like signals and 3 of 21 cartilage lesions decreased on MRI.

Conclusion

The knees of novice runners achieved sustained improvement, for at least 6 months post-marathon, in the condition of their bone marrow and articular cartilage.

中文翻译：

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马拉松对跑步新手的膝盖关节的直接影响是否在跑步后6个月内持续？3.0 T MRI随访研究。

目的

在完成马拉松训练和跑步6个月后，使用3.0 T MRI评估无症状的首次马拉松赛跑者膝关节的变化。

材料和方法

在参加有关膝关节的基线研究六个月后，有44名无症状的新手马拉松运动员（男17例，女27例，平均年龄46岁）同意参加重复的MRI检查：37例均完成了标准化的4个月培训计划和马拉松（马拉松运动员）；和7在训练期间退出（赛前退出）。参与者已经进行了双侧3.0 T MRI：第一场马拉松（2017年伦敦马拉松）之前和之后的两个月。这项研究是对膝关节的后续评估。在所有时间点均使用经过验证的评分/评分系统评估每个膝盖的结构。

结果

马拉松比赛两周后，在MRI上3项马拉松前骨髓病变和2项软骨病变表现出放射学评分降低，并且在随访6个月后持续改善。随访时MRI观察到新的改善：马拉松减少6个月后，已有5个先前存在的骨髓病变和3个软骨病变保持不变。

随访中未发现进一步的病变，并且马拉松后2周的病变显示出可逆的迹象：在MRI上，18个骨髓水肿样信号中的10个和21个软骨病变中的3个减少。

结论

马拉松运动后至少6个月，在骨髓和关节软骨的状况下，新手跑步者的膝盖获得了持续的改善。