title: T₁ρ MRI of human musculoskeletal system.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers the direct visualization of the human musculoskeletal (MSK) system, especially all diarthrodial tissues including cartilage, bone, menisci, ligaments, tendon, hip, synovium, etc. Conventional MRI techniques based on T1 - and T2 -weighted, proton density (PD) contrast are inconclusive in quantifying early biochemically degenerative changes in MSK system in general and articular cartilage in particular. In recent years, quantitative MR parameter mapping techniques have been used to quantify the biochemical changes in articular cartilage, with a special emphasis on evaluating joint injury, cartilage degeneration, and soft tissue repair. In this article we focus on cartilage biochemical composition, basic principles of T1ρ MRI, implementation of T1ρ pulse sequences, biochemical validation, and summarize the potential applications of the T1ρ MRI technique in MSK diseases including osteoarthritis (OA), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and knee joint repair. Finally, we also review the potential advantages, challenges, and future prospects of T1ρ MRI for widespread clinical translation.
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College of Soochow University, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Ligong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ravinder R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Regatte
mesh_terms: D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D002358:Cartilage, Articular; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: T1ρ; anterior cruciate ligament; cartilage; meniscus; musculoskeletal system; osteoarthritis