title: Magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage and evaluation of cartilage disease.
abstract: Clinical magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage is possible by using techniques that offer high contrast between articular cartilage and adjacent structures in reasonable examination times. The fat-suppressed, three-dimensional, spoiled gradient-echo sequence has been reported to be accurate and reliable, and the addition of this sequence to a routine examination does not significantly compromise patient throughput. Fast spin-echo imaging also shows promise in the clinical evaluation of articular cartilage, because the newer, stronger-gradient systems allow thinner slice acquisition with two-dimensional sequences. Together, these sequences allow the evaluation of intrachondral lesions and surface defects. Furthermore, quantitative measurements of cartilage volume for follow-up studies are possible with the use of the fat-suppressed, three-dimensional, spoiled gradient-echo sequence.
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Radiodiagnostics, Department of Osteology, AKH-Vienna, Austria. siegfried.trattnig@univie.ac.at
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trattnig
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mlynárik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ba-Ssalamah
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imhof
mesh_terms: D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors