[Preliminary trial of three-dimensional water-excitation magnetization transfer contrast MR imaging of articular cartilage].
MR images of articular cartilage were evaluated with a three-dimensional (3D) water-excitation sequence (repetition time/echo time/flip angle = 28 msec/14 msec/20 degrees) with and without on-resonance magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) pulse in-vitro and in-vivo. 3D water-excitation images with MTC pulse showed a significantly higher contrast-to-noise ratio between normal saline or joint effusion and articular cartilage than images without MTC pulse. In 2 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, joint effusion showed higher signal intensity than cartilage (arthrogram-like effect) on 3D water-excitation MTC images. The contrast between joint effusion and articular cartilage on 3D water-excitation MTC images was similar to that on fat-suppressed 2D protondensity-weighted fast spin echo images. In conclusion, 3D water-excitation MTC imaging is a promising method by which to evaluate articular cartilage in osteoarthritis and cartilage defect with thin sections and a reasonable scan time.
Yoshioka
H
H
Department of Radiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba.
Lang
P
P
Ikeda
K
K
Niitsu
M
M
Itai
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013552:Swine