Cartilage morphology at 2–3 years following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with or without concomitant meniscal pathology

Purpose To examine differences in cartilage morphology between young adults 2–3 years post-anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), with or without meniscal pathology, and control participants. Methods Knee MRI was performed on 130 participants aged 18–40 years (62 with isolated ACLR, 38 with combined ACLR and meniscal pathology, and 30 healthy controls). Cartilage defects, cartilage volume and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) were assessed from MRI using validated methods. Results Cartilage defects were more prevalent in the isolated ACLR (69 %) and combined group (84 %) than in controls (10 %, P