title: Delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the fibrocartilage disc of the temporomandibular joint--a feasibility study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To 1) test the feasibility of delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) at 3 T in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and 2) to determine the optimal delay for measurements of the TMJ disc after i.v. contrast agent (CA) administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  MRI of the right and left TMJ of six asymptomatic volunteers was performed at 3 T using a dedicated coil. 2D inversion recovery (2D-IR) sequences were performed at 4 time points covering 120 minutes and 3D gradient-echo (3D GRE) dual flip-angle sequences were performed at 14 time points covering 130 minutes after the administration of 0.2 mmol/kg of Gd-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid ion (Gd-DTPA)(2-), i.e., 0.4 mL of Magnevist™ per kg body weight. Pair-wise tests were used to assess differences between pre-and post-contrast T1 values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  2D-IR sequences showed a statistically significant drop (p<0.001) in T1 values after i.v. CA administration. The T1 drop of 50% was reached 60 minutes after bolus injection in the TMJ disc. The 3D GRE dual flip-angle sequences confirmed these results and show plateau of T1 after 60 minutes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T1(Gd) maps calculated from dGEMRIC data allow in vivo assessment of the fibrocartilage disc of the TMJ. The recommended measurement time for dGEMRIC in the TMJ after i.v. CA administration is from 60 to 120 minutes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Bernhard Gottlieb University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: elisabeth.pittschieler@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pittschieler
authors.affiliation: High Field MR Centre, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Imaging Methods, Institute of Measurement Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84219 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szomolanyi
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Bernhard Gottlieb University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmid-Schwap
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Institute for Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Egerbacher
authors.affiliation: Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Systematic Anatomy, Medical University of Vienna, Währingerstrasse 13, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Hannes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Traxler
authors.affiliation: High Field MR Centre, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Clinical and Experimental Traumatology, Donaueschingenstraße 13, 1200 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trattnig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D051445:Fibrocartilage / Q000473:pathology*; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: Fibrocartilage disc; Glycosaminoglycan in temporomandibular joint; MRI at 3 T; Temporomandibular joint; dGEMRIC