High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging of normal porcine cartilaginous epiphyseal maturation

✍ Scribed by Paul S. Babyn; Harry K. W. Kim; Claude Lemaire; Harpal K. Gahunia; Albert Cross; Joseph Denanassy; Kenneth P. H. Pritzker

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 999 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1053-1807
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.1880060131

✦ Synopsis

The aim of this study was to determine whether highresolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging could differentiate epiphyseal and articular cartilage in the cartilaginous epiphysis and demonstrate its developmental changes. T1-and T2-weighted (T1W and T2w) spin-echo sequences at 50-mm field of view (FOV] of hip joints were obtained from 14 piglets (newborn to 6 months). Subsequently, high-resolution M R images (15-mm FOV] of a biopsy core of the proximal femoral cartilaginous epiphysis were correlated with histology. Newborn cartilaginous epiphysis demonstrated homogeneous signal intensity on T1W and T2W imaging with abundant cartilage canals. From 2 weeks of age, the cartilaginous epiphysis showed a diminution of cartilage canals, with three zones evident on T2W imaging consisting of a low-signal middle zone separating two higher signal zones. Histologic evaluation demonstrated four distinct morphologic laminae with a decrease in overall cartilage thickness with age. The laminas were not as well deflned in the newborn compared with the older piglets. No simple correlation was found between the M R zonal pattern and the morphological laminas on histology. No distinct demarcation between the articular cartilage and epiphyseal cartilage was present. M R can visualize cartilage canals and demonstrate changes in the cartilaginous epiphysis that occur with maturation. What component of the cartilaginous epiphysis that accounts for the M R differences seen between newborn and older piglets remains unclear. Index terms: Cartilage * Epiphysis * Magnetic resonance imaging * Bone JBfRI 1996: 1 172-179 Abbreviations: FOV = field of view, MR = magnetic resonance, TlW = T1weighted, T2W = T2-weighted From the Departments of Radiology (P.S.B.) and Pathology (J.D.) and the Division of Orthopedics (H.K.W.K.), Hospital for Sick Children,