Human knee: in vivo T1(rho)-weighted MR imaging at 1.5 T--preliminary experience.
A fast spin-echo sequence weighted with a time constant that defines the magnetic relaxation of spins under the influence of a radio-frequency field (T1(rho)) was used in six subjects to measure magnetic resonance (MR) relaxation times in the knee joint with a 1.5-T MR imager. A quantitative comparison of T2- and T1(rho)-weighted MR images was also performed. Substantial T1(rho) dispersion was demonstrated in human articular cartilage, but muscle did not demonstrate much dispersion. T1(rho)-weighted images depicted a chondral lesion with 25% better signal-difference-to-noise ratios than comparable T2-weighted images. This technique may depict cartilage and muscular abnormalities.
Duvvuri
U
U
Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA. uduvvuri@mail.med.upenn.edu
Charagundla
S R
SR
Kudchodkar
S B
SB
Kaufman
J H
JH
Kneeland
J B
JB
Rizi
R
R
Leigh
J S
JS
Reddy
R
R
D000328:Adult; D002358:Cartilage, Articular; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D007719:Knee Joint; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis