3D-T1ρ quantitation of patellar cartilage at 3.0T

✍ Scribed by S. Kubilay Pakin; Mark E. Schweitzer; Ravinder R. Regatte

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 332 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1053-1807
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.20733

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose

To demonstrate the feasibility of three‐dimensional (3D) T~1ρ~‐weighted imaging of human knee joint at 3.0T without exceeding the specific absorption rate (SAR) limits and the measurement of the baseline T~1ρ~ values of patellar cartilage and several muscles at the knee joint.

Materials and Methods

3D gradient‐echo sequence with a self‐compensating spin‐lock pulse cluster of 250 Hz power was used to acquire 3D‐T~1ρ~‐weighted images of the knee joint of five healthy subjects. Global and regional analysis of patellar cartilage T~1ρ~ were performed. Furthermore, T~1ρ~ of several periarticular muscles were analyzed.

Results

The global average T~1ρ~ value of the patellar cartilage varied from 39 to 43 msec. The regional average T~1ρ~ values varied from 38 to 42 msec, and from 42 to 44 msec for medial and lateral facets, respectively. In vivo reproducibility of average T~1ρ~ of patellar cartilage was found to be 5% (coefficient of variation). Similarly, the global average T~1ρ~ values for biceps femoris, lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius, and sartorius varied between 31–46, 29–49, 35–48, and 32–50 msec, respectively.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the feasibility of 3D‐T~1ρ~‐weighted imaging of the knee joint at 3.0T without exceeding SAR limits. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.