Title Information
Title
Advancement of a Quantitative MRI Pipeline to Assess Healing Progression of Soft Tissues in the Knee After ACL Surgery
Type of Resource (primo)
dissertations
Name: Personal
Name Part
Barnes, Dominique Alexis
Role
Role Term: Text
creator
Name: Personal
Name Part
Fleming, Braden
Role
Role Term: Text
Advisor
Name: Personal
Name Part
Crisco, Joseph
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Kimia, Benjamin
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Beveridge, Jillian
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Personal
Name Part
Kiapour, Ata
Role
Role Term: Text
Reader
Name: Corporate
Name Part
Brown University. Biology and Medicine: Biomedical Engineering
Role
Role Term: Text
sponsor
Origin Information
Copyright Date
2026
Physical Description
Extent
xxiii, 163 p.
digitalOrigin
born digital
Note: thesis
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Brown University, 2026
Genre (aat)
theses
Abstract
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most common knee injuries, often resulting in long rehabilitation periods with an increased risk of reinjury and post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Current clinical imaging primarily relies on qualitative interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which limits the ability to assess the healing tissue. The objective of this dissertation was to advance quantitative MRI (qMRI) as a noninvasive tool for assessing the structural and functional integrity of healing knee joints tissues following ACL surgery. By advancing qMRI toward precise mapping and image interpretation, this work establishes foundational steps toward the use of qMRI-derived metrics as predictive biomarkers that can inform clinical decision making and improve patient outcomes. To accomplish this objective, each chapter addressed a specific aim designed to overcome key barriers to clinical implementation needed for qMRI to function as a reliable clinical tool. Specific Aim 1 focused on establishing the predictive validity of qMRI-derived biomarkers for identifying patients at elevated risk of reinjury following ACL surgery. Demonstrating that imaging-derived metrics can predict clinically meaningful outcomes is a critical step in validating any biomarker intended for clinical application. Specific Aim 2 targeted a major technical barrier affecting qMRI measurements that compromise accurate ACL SI quantification. Metallic artifacts from surgical hardware can distort MRI signal characteristics, leading to inaccurate interpretation of tissue healing. While qMRI has been increasingly used to evaluate ACL graft integrity following surgery, its application to the menisci has been limited. Specific Aim 3 expanded the qMRI framework to include the menisci by translating and adapting previously developed biomarkers to characterize meniscal structural changes following ACL injury and surgery. Lastly, the development of clinically translatable qMRI tools requires consideration of MRI sequence selection and compatibility across imaging protocols. Therefore, Specific Aim 4 explored the potential for extending the qMRI framework to more clinically used sequences. Collectively, the research presented in this dissertation advances qMRI from a primarily research-based imaging technique toward a clinically meaningful tool capable of quantitatively evaluating multiple knee joint tissues following ACL surgery to support individualized rehabilitation strategies and improve long-term outcomes for patients recovering from ACL surgery.
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/01005780")
Topic
Magnetic resonance imaging
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/00810082")
Topic
Anterior cruciate ligament
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/01048565")
Topic
Orthopedics
Subject
Topic
biomarkers
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/00988052")
Topic
Knee
Subject
Topic
Reinjury
Subject
Topic
Knee Joint Biomechanics
Subject (fast) (authorityURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast", valueURI="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/01940971")
Topic
Quantitative magnetic resonance
Subject
Topic
qMRI
Subject
Topic
ACL
Subject
Topic
Meniscus
Subject
Topic
PTOA
Language
Language Term (ISO639-2B)
English
Record Information
Record Content Source (marcorg)
RPB
Record Creation Date (encoding="iso8601")
20260516