Magnetic Resonance T 2 Is Increased in Patients With Early-Stage Achilles and Patellar Tendinopathy

T * mapping has proven useful in tendon research and may have the ability to detect subtle changes at an early stage of tendinopathy. To investigate the difference in T * between patients with early tendinopathy and healthy controls, and to investigate the relationship between T * and clinical outcomes, tendon size, and mechanical properties. Prospective cross-sectional. Sixty-five patients with early tendinopathy and 25 healthy controls. Three Tesla, ultrashort time to echo magnetic resonance imaging. Tendon T * was quantified using a monoexponential fitting algorithm. Clinical symptoms were evaluated using the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles/Patella (VISA-A/VISA-P). In vivo mechanical properties were measured using an ultrasound-based method that determined force and deformation simultaneously in tendons of patellar tendinopathy patients. A generalized linear model adjusted for age was applied to investigate the difference between patients and controls. In the two patient groups, linear regressions were applied to investigate the association between T * and tendon size, clinical outcomes, and biomechanical properties. There was a significant difference in T * between patients and healthy controls (204.8 [95% CI: 44.5-365.0] μsec, P