Baseline characteristics of the 117 participants with baseline MRI split by treatment group and ACLR graft type at 5 years*
| Early ACLR | Optional delayed ACLR | All ACLR at 5 years | ||||
| All subjects (n=59) | All subjects (n=58)† | Delayed ACLR‡ (n=29) | Rehabilitation alone (n=29)† | HT graft (n=48) | BPTB graft (n=40) | |
| Age, years | 26.6±5.1 | 25.7±4.7 | 25.0±4.4 | 26.3±4.9 | 25.4±4.4 | 26.8±5.5 |
| Female sex, n (%) | 12 (20) | 20 (34) | 11 (38) | 9 (31) | 14 (29) | 9 (23) |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 24.4±3.2 | 23.8 (2.6) | 23.3±2.0 | 24.3±3.1 | 23.5±2.2 | 24.6±3.5 |
| Days to ACLR | 44±12 | NA | 559±420 | NA | 217±363 | 209±316 |
| Year 2/5 follow-up missing MRI, n (%) | 1 (2)/0 (0) | 4 (7)/5 (9) | 2 (7)/2 (7) | 2 (7)/3 (10) | 2 (4)/2 (4) | 1 (3)/0 (0) |
| Cartilage thickness, mm | ||||||
| Patella | 2.7±0.3 | 2.6±0.4 | 2.6±0.4 | 2.6±0.4 | 2.6±0.4 | 2.7±0.4 |
| Trochlea | 2.3±0.3 | 2.2±0.3 | 2.2±0.2 | 2.2±0.3 | 2.2±0.2 | 2.2±0.3 |
| Total PF joint | 5.0±0.5 | 4.8±0.6 | 4.7±0.6 | 4.8±0.6 | 4.9±0.6 | 5.0±0.5 |
*Values are mean±SD unless indicated otherwise. No statistically significant baseline characteristic differences exist between as-treated groups (p>0.05).
†BMI missing for one participant from rehabilitation alone group.
‡Twenty-two participants with cartilage thickness data available had a delayed reconstruction within the first 2 years after baseline while seven participants had a delayed reconstruction between year-2 and year-5.
ACLR, anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; BMI, body mass index; BPTB, bone-patellar tendon-bone; HT, hamstring tendon; PF, patellofemoral.