title: Contrast enhanced imaging of human meniscus using cone beam CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Meniscal injuries can lead to mechanical overloading of articular cartilage and eventually to knee osteoarthritis. The objective was to evaluate the potential of contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) to image contrast agent (CA) diffusion in human menisci with a clinical cone beam CT scanner.
  
  
  METHODS
  Isolated human menisci (n = 26) were imaged using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CECT in situ. Diffusion of anionic CA into the meniscus was imaged for up to 30 h. The results of CECT were compared with water, collagen and proteoglycan (PG) contents, biomechanical properties, age and histological and MR images of the samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diffusion of CA required over 25 h to reach equilibrium. The CA partition (the CA concentration in the tissue divided by that in the bath) at the 40 min time point correlated significantly with that at the 30 h time point in both lateral (r = 0.706, P = 0.007) and medial (r = 0.669, P = 0.012) menisci. Furthermore, CA partition in meniscus after 30 h of diffusion agreed qualitatively with the distribution of PGs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cross-sectional distribution of CA was consistent with that reported in a previous μCT study on bovine meniscus. The time required to reach diffusion equilibrium was found impractical for clinical applications. However, based on the present results, shorter delay between injection and imaging (e.g., 40 min) could be feasible in clinical diagnostics of meniscal pathologies.
authors: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, POB 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland; Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Kuopio University Hospital, KUH, POB 100, FI-70029, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: juuso.honkanen@uef.fi.
authors: J T J
authors: JT
authors: Honkanen
authors: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, POB 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, KUH, POB 100, FI-70029, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: elvis.danso@uef.fi.
authors: E K
authors: EK
authors: Danso
authors: Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Kuopio University Hospital, KUH, POB 100, FI-70029, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: juha-sampo.suomalainen@kuh.fi.
authors: J-S
authors: JS
authors: Suomalainen
authors: Institute of Biomedicine, Anatomy, University of Eastern Finland, POB 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: virpi.tiitu@uef.fi.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Tiitu
authors: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, POB 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland; Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Kuopio University Hospital, KUH, POB 100, FI-70029, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: rami.korhonen@uef.fi.
authors: R K
authors: RK
authors: Korhonen
authors: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, POB 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland; Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Kuopio University Hospital, KUH, POB 100, FI-70029, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: jukka.jurvelin@uef.fi.
authors: J S
authors: JS
authors: Jurvelin
authors: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, POB 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland; Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Kuopio University Hospital, KUH, POB 100, FI-70029, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: juha.toyras@uef.fi.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Töyräs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D002102:Cadaver; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D014574:Uronic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D014574:Uronic Acids; D003094:Collagen; D006909:Hydroxyproline
keywords: Computed tomography; Contrast agent; Diffusion; Meniscus