High-resolution 3D cartilage imaging with IDEAL SPGR at 3 T.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to perform imaging of cartilage at high resolution with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with a combination of iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) with parallel imaging at 3 T and spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) imaging. The findings with the combined technique were compared with those obtained with conventional fat-saturated SPGR imaging.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with fat-saturated SPGR, IDEAL-SPGR imaging combined with parallel imaging at 3 T provides robust fat-water separation and significant improvement in cartilage SNR. Use of IDEAL-SPGR also led to dramatic improvement in cartilage-fluid contrast-to-noise ratio compared with fat-saturated SPGR imaging. Thus, use of IDEAL-SPGR may improve the accuracy of cartilage volume measurements and detection of cartilage surface defects. Excellent evaluation of the morphologic features of the knee cartilage with high-resolution, high-SNR images can be performed in 5 minutes.
Siepmann
David B
DB
Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, 600 Highland Ave., CSC E1/374, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
McGovern
Jeff
J
Brittain
Jean H
JH
Reeder
Scott B
SB
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique