T2 relaxation time changes in distal femoral articular cartilage in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a 3-year longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE. Increased cartilage T2 relaxation time is thought to be an early marker of disease progression in juvenile idiopathic arthritis, because it can identify microstructural changes before damage becomes visible. The purpose of this study was to investigate longitudinal changes in T2 relaxation time mapping (i.e., T2 map) in children with early juvenile idiopathic arthritis and to compare with changes in clinical assessments.SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Twenty children (age range, 6.4–16 years) with early juvenile idiopathic arthritis completed at least four evaluations with T2 maps and clinical assessments: at enrollment, at 3 months, and at 1, 2, and 3 years. Sagittal T2 maps of distal femoral cartilage were generated, a region of interest was selected, and a T2 relaxation time profile was generated. The area under the curve from the T2 profile (i.e., T2 value) was correlated with patient age and sex and the following clinical assessments: total knee score, Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire, phys...