MRI Assessment of Talar Microstructure in Amateur Marathon Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study with Single-Subject Finite Element Analysis.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Radiology, Hangzhou Normal University Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
- 2Department of Hangzhou Institute of Sports Medicine for Marathon, Hangzhou Normal University Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
- 3Physical Education Department, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.
- 4Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
- 5School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
Abstract
We compared regional talar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements between amateur marathon runners and non-runners and explored stress distribution using a single-subject finite element model. This cross-sectional study included 47 amateur marathon runners and 26 controls, with 82 and 48 ankle records, between September 2020 and December 2023. The main analysis used 46 runner and 26 control right-ankle records to avoid bilateral sampling. Log-linear T2* models adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, with HC3 standard errors and 12-test false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Bone marrow edema (BME) was assessed using recorded subchondral-bone zone grades. Sensitivity analyses examined repeated demographic profiles. Simulation used one male runner's right ankle. Runners had lower medial-central (MC) talar trochlear cartilage T2* values (adjusted geometric mean ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.85; FDR-adjusted P < 0.001) and higher lateral-posterior (LP) talar subchondral-bone values (ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.63; FDR-adjusted P = 0.010). These MC findings were consistent across all 24 profile-deduplication scenarios, whereas the LP findings persisted in 14. No zone-specific BME difference was significant after FDR correction. Simulated peak cartilage stress was the highest during posterior support (13.01 MPa). Amateur marathon runners showed lower MC cartilage T2* values and higher LP subchondral-bone T2* values, with the MC finding more consistent across sensitivity analyses. The single-subject model showed the highest peak cartilage stress during posterior support.
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BibTeX
@article{huang2026assessment,
title = {{MRI Assessment of Talar Microstructure in Amateur Marathon Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study with Single-Subject Finite Element Analysis.}},
author = {Jie Huang and Jianxiong Sui and Yiyun Dai and Yong Chen and Siyu Dai and Jing Zhou and Xinmiao Mao and Jun Lin and Wanzhen Yao and Jie Liu},
journal = {International journal of general medicine},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.2147/ijgm.s625695},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999832},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - MRI Assessment of Talar Microstructure in Amateur Marathon Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study with Single-Subject Finite Element Analysis.
AU - Jie Huang
AU - Jianxiong Sui
AU - Yiyun Dai
AU - Yong Chen
AU - Siyu Dai
AU - Jing Zhou
AU - Xinmiao Mao
AU - Jun Lin
AU - Wanzhen Yao
AU - Jie Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - International journal of general medicine
DO - 10.2147/ijgm.s625695
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999832
AB - We compared regional talar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements between amateur marathon runners and non-runners and explored stress distribution using a single-subject finite element model. This cross-sectional study included 47 amateur marathon runners and 26 controls, with 82 and 48 ankle records, between September 2020 and December 2023. The main analysis used 46 runner and 26 control right-ankle records to avoid bilateral sampling. Log-linear T2* models adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, with HC3 standard errors and 12-test false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Bone marrow edema (BME) was assessed using recorded subchondral-bone zone grades. Sensitivity analyses examined repeated demographic profiles. Simulation used one male runner's right ankle. Runners had lower medial-central (MC) talar trochlear cartilage T2* values (adjusted geometric mean ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.85; FDR-adjusted P < 0.001) and higher lateral-posterior (LP) talar subchondral-bone values (ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.63; FDR-adjusted P = 0.010). These MC findings were consistent across all 24 profile-deduplication scenarios, whereas the LP findings persisted in 14. No zone-specific BME difference was significant after FDR correction. Simulated peak cartilage stress was the highest during posterior support (13.01 MPa). Amateur marathon runners showed lower MC cartilage T2* values and higher LP subchondral-bone T2* values, with the MC finding more consistent across sensitivity analyses. The single-subject model showed the highest peak cartilage stress during posterior support.
SN - 1178-7074
ER -