title: Articular Cartilage of the Human Knee Joint: In Vivo Multicomponent T2 Analysis at 3.0 T.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare multicomponent T2 parameters of the articular cartilage of the knee joint measured by using multicomponent driven equilibrium single-shot observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT) in asymptomatic volunteers and patients with osteoarthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study was performed with institutional review board approval and with written informed consent from all subjects. The mcDESPOT sequence was performed in the knee joint of 13 asymptomatic volunteers and 14 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Single-component T2 (T2(Single)), T2 of the fast-relaxing water component (T2F) and of the slow-relaxing water component (T2S), and the fraction of the fast-relaxing water component (F(F)) of cartilage were measured. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and multivariate linear regression models were used to compare mcDESPOT parameters between volunteers and patients with osteoarthritis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to assess diagnostic performance with mcDESPOT parameters for distinguishing morphologically normal cartilage from morphologically degenerative cartilage identified at magnetic resonance imaging in eight cartilage subsections of the knee joint.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher cartilage T2(Single) (P < .001), lower cartilage F(F) (P < .001), and similar cartilage T2F (P = .079) and T2S (P = .124) values were seen in patients with osteoarthritis compared with those in asymptomatic volunteers. Differences in T2(Single) and F(F) remained significant (P < .05) after consideration of age differences between groups of subjects. Diagnostic performance was higher with F(F) than with T2(Single) for distinguishing between normal and degenerative cartilage (P < .05), with greater areas under the curve at receiver operating characteristic analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee had significantly higher cartilage T2(Single) and significantly lower cartilage F(F) than did asymptomatic volunteers, and receiver operating characteristic analysis results suggested that F(F) may allow greater diagnostic performance than that with T2(Single) for distinguishing between normal and degenerative cartilage.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Medical Physics (F.L., A.S., W.F.B.), Biomechanical Engineering (K.W.C.), Radiology (A.S., R.K.), and Orthopedics (J.J.W.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis; and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md (R.G.S.).
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Medical Physics (F.L., A.S., W.F.B.), Biomechanical Engineering (K.W.C.), Radiology (A.S., R.K.), and Orthopedics (J.J.W.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis; and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md (R.G.S.).
authors.forename: Kwang Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Medical Physics (F.L., A.S., W.F.B.), Biomechanical Engineering (K.W.C.), Radiology (A.S., R.K.), and Orthopedics (J.J.W.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis; and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md (R.G.S.).
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samsonov
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Medical Physics (F.L., A.S., W.F.B.), Biomechanical Engineering (K.W.C.), Radiology (A.S., R.K.), and Orthopedics (J.J.W.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis; and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md (R.G.S.).
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Medical Physics (F.L., A.S., W.F.B.), Biomechanical Engineering (K.W.C.), Radiology (A.S., R.K.), and Orthopedics (J.J.W.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis; and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md (R.G.S.).
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Medical Physics (F.L., A.S., W.F.B.), Biomechanical Engineering (K.W.C.), Radiology (A.S., R.K.), and Orthopedics (J.J.W.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis; and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md (R.G.S.).
authors.forename: Walter F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Block
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Medical Physics (F.L., A.S., W.F.B.), Biomechanical Engineering (K.W.C.), Radiology (A.S., R.K.), and Orthopedics (J.J.W.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis; and Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Md (R.G.S.).
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kijowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results