title: MRI appearance of normal articular cartilage.
abstract: At each joint, the extracellular matrix of cartilage is arranged in a complex and characteristic organization that is specific for that joint. This structure exerts a strong influence on the appearance of magnetic resonance (MR) images through orientation-related alterations in T2 decay. As a result, the MR appearance of cartilage at each joint is predictable and specific for that joint. The diagnostic utility of MR imaging for evaluating cartilage is enhanced when the acquisition and review of the images is informed by an understanding of this relationship between normal structure and the MR appearance of cartilage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Dartmouth Medical School, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA. douglas.goodwin@hitchcock.org
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Goodwin
mesh_terms: D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*