title: Correlation of meniscal T2* with multiphoton microscopy, and change of articular cartilage T2 in an ovine model of meniscal repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate meniscal T2* relaxation times using ultra-short echo time (UTE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with quantitative microscopic methods, and to determine the effect of meniscal repair on post-operative cartilage T2 values.
  
  
  METHODS
  A medial meniscal tear was created and repaired in the anterior horn of one limb of 28 crossbred mature ewes. MR scans for morphological evaluation, meniscal T2* values, and cartilage T2 values were acquired at 0, 4 and 8 months post-operatively for the Tear and Non-Op limb. Samples of menisci from both limbs were analyzed using multiphoton microscopy (MPM) analysis and biomechanical testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly prolonged meniscal T2* values were found in repaired limbs than in control limbs, P < 0.0001. No regional differences of T2* were detected for either the repaired or control limbs in the anterior horn. Repaired limbs had prolonged cartilage T2 values, primarily anteriorly, and tended to have lower biomechanical force to failure at 8 months than Non-Op limbs. MPM autofluorescence and second harmonic generation data correlated with T2* values at 8 months (ρ = -0.48, P = 0.06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T2* mapping is sensitive to detecting temporal and zonal differences of meniscal structure and composition. Meniscal MPM and cartilage T2 values indicate changes in tissue integrity in the presence of meniscal repair.
authors.affiliation: MRI Research Laboratory, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA. koffm@hss.edu
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Koff
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pownder
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fortier
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rodeo
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Potter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D036641:Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Cartilage; MRI; Meniscus; UTE