Quantification of articular cartilage in the knee with pulsed saturation transfer subtraction and fat-suppressed MR imaging: optimization and validation.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the reproducibility and accuracy of volumetric quantifications of articular cartilage in the knee determined with three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging combined with pulsed saturation transfer subtraction (STS) or T1-weighted fat suppression (FS) imaging.


METHODS
Eight osteoarthritic knees were imaged repeatedly with optimized STS and FS sequences. Cartilage volumes were determined from 3D reconstructions of FS and STS images and by means of water displacement of surgically retrieved tissue.


RESULTS
Mean over- or underestimation of cartilage volume at STS and FS imaging was 0.40 mL +/- 0.11 (standard deviation) (8.2%) and 0.31 mL +/- 0.08 (5.9%), respectively. Intraobserver reproducibility error was 0.20-0.65 mL (3.6%-6.4%) for STS and 0.21-0.58 mL (4.2%-6.4%) for FS imaging. Interobserver error was less than 0.62 mL and 7.8%.


CONCLUSIONS
Three-dimensional data analysis of MR images acquired with STS or FS allows accurate and reproducible volumetric quantification of articular cartilage in the knee.
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0628.
C G
CG
Peterfy
C F
CF
van Dijke
D L
DL
Janzen
C C
CC
Glüer
R
R
Namba
S
S
Majumdar
P
P
Lang
H K
HK
Genant
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006833:Hydrarthrosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results