title: T2 values of posterior horns of knee menisci in asymptomatic subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The magnetic resonance (MR) T2 value of cartilage is a reliable indicator of tissue properties and therefore may be used as an objective diagnostic tool in early meniscal degeneration. The purpose of this study was to investigate age, gender, location, and zonal differences in MR T2 value of the posterior horns of knee menisci in asymptomatic subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty asymptomatic volunteers (30 men and 30 women) were enrolled and divided into three different age groups: 20-34, 35-49 and 50-70 years. The inclusion criteria were BMI<30 kg/cm(2), normalized Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) pain score of zero, and no evidence of meniscal and ligamentous abnormalities on routine knee MR imaging. The T2 values were measured on images acquired with a T2-weighted fat-suppressed turbo spin-echo sequence at 3T.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean T2 values in both medial and lateral menisci for the 20-34, 35-49, and 50-70 age groups were 9.94 msec±0.94, 10.73 msec±1.55, and 12.36 msec±2.27, respectively, for women and 9.17 msec±0.74, 9.64 msec±0.67, and 10.95 msec±1.33, respectively, for men. The T2 values were significantly higher in the 50-70 age group than the 20-34 age group (P<0.001) and in women than in men (P = 0.001, 0.004, and 0.049 for each respective age group). T2 values were significantly higher in medial menisci than in lateral menisci only in women age 50-70 (3.33 msec, P = 0.006) and in the white zone and red/white zone of the 50-70 and 35-49 age groups than that of the 20-34 age group (2.47, 1.02; 2.77, 1.16 msec, respectively, all P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MR T2 values of the posterior meniscal horns increase with increasing age in women and are higher in women than in men. The age-related rise of T2 values appears to be more severe in medial menisci than in lateral menisci. Differences exist in the white zone and red/white zone.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Shih-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Ping-Huei
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yue-Cune
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chao-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hsiao-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Herng-Sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ming-Chung
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Yi-Chih
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Guo-Shu
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007717:Knee / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
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