title: Gd-DTPA2)-enhanced MRI of femoral knee cartilage: a dose-response study in healthy volunteers.
abstract: The negatively charged contrast agent Gd-DTPA2- distributes inversely to the cartilage fixed charged density. This enables structural cartilage examinations by contrast-enhanced MRI. In line with the development of a clinically applicable protocol for such examinations, this study describes the temporal pattern of Gd-DTPA2- distribution in femoral knee cartilage at three different doses in healthy volunteers. Nineteen volunteers (ages 21-28 years) were examined with a 1.5T MRI system. Quantitative relaxation rate measurements were made in weight-bearing central parts of femoral cartilage using sets of five turbo inversion recovery images with different inversion times. The cartilage was analyzed before and four times (1-4 h) after an intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA2- at single, double, and triple doses: 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mmol/kg body weight, respectively. The increase in R1 postcontrast was linearly dose-related at all times. The highest R1 values were registered at 2 and 3 h postcontrast, suggesting 2 h to be optimal in the clinical situation. The triple dose indicated a subtle compartmental difference in men, with higher contrast distribution medially than laterally. Results suggest that the triple dose is needed to detect minor cartilage matrix differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tiderius
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Verdier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leander
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ekberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dahlberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA