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MRI radiomics for hamstring strain injury identification and return to sport classification: a pilot study

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Abstract

Objective

To determine if MRI-based radiomics from hamstring muscles are related to injury and if the features could be used to perform a time to return to sport (RTS) classification. We hypothesize that radiomics from hamstring muscles, especially T2-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging-based features, are related to injury and can be used for RTS classification.

Subjects and methods

MRI data from 32 athletes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that sustained a hamstring strain injury were collected. Diffusion tensor imaging and T1- and T2-weighted images were processed, and diffusion maps were calculated. Radiomics features were extracted from the four hamstring muscles in each limb and for each MRI modality, individually. Feature selection was performed and multiple support vector classifiers were cross-validated to differentiate between involved and uninvolved limbs and perform binary (≤ or > 25 days) and multiclass (< 14 vs. 14—42 vs. > 42 days) classification of RTS.

Result

The combination of radiomics features from all diffusion tensor imaging and T2-weighted images provided the most accurate differentiation between involved and uninvolved limbs (AUC ≈ 0.84 ± 0.16). For the binary RTS classification, the combination of all extracted radiomics offered the most accurate classification (AUC ≈ 0.95 ± 0.15). While for the multiclass RTS classification, the combination of features from all the diffusion tensor imaging maps provided the most accurate classification (weighted one vs. rest AUC ≈ 0.81 ± 0.16).

Conclusion

This pilot study demonstrated that radiomics features from hamstring muscles are related to injury and have the potential to predict RTS.

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Data availability

The data in support of the findings of this study is not publicly available and cannot be shared due to Institutional Review Board’s restrictions.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by NBA and GE Healthcare Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Collaboration (MYT-015, D223) and NIH awards TL1TR002375 and R01EB026708. The authors would like to acknowledge the Sports Medicine staff in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Athletics for their commitment to the welfare of the student-athletes and contributions to the Badger Athletic Performance program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Maribel Torres-Velázquez, Christa M. Wille, Bryan C. Heiderscheit & Alan B. McMillan

  2. Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA

    Christa M. Wille & Bryan C. Heiderscheit

  3. Badger Athletic Performance Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA

    Christa M. Wille & Bryan C. Heiderscheit

  4. Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA

    Samuel A. Hurley & Alan B. McMillan

  5. Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Richard Kijowski

  6. Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA

    Alan B. McMillan

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  1. Maribel Torres-Velázquez
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Correspondence to Maribel Torres-Velázquez.

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Torres-Velázquez, M., Wille, C.M., Hurley, S.A. et al. MRI radiomics for hamstring strain injury identification and return to sport classification: a pilot study. Skeletal Radiol 53, 637–648 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-023-04449-7

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