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Ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging of the quadriceps tendon enthesis in healthy subjects

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Abstract

Purpose

Although enthesitis is a hallmark of several rheumatologic conditions, current imaging methods are still unable to characterize entheses changes because of the corresponding short transverse relaxation times (T2). A growing number of MR studies have used Ultra-High Field (UHF) MRI in order to assess low-T2 tissues e.g., tendon but never in humans. The purpose of the present study was to assess in vivo the enthesis of the quadriceps tendon in healthy subjects using UHF MRI.

Methods

Eleven healthy subjects volunteered in an osteoarthritis imaging study. The inclusion criteria were: no knee trauma, Lequesne index = 0, less than 3 h of sport activities per week, and Kellgren and Lawrence grade = 0. 3D MR images were acquired at 7 T using GRE sequences and a T2* mapping. Regions of interest i.e., trabecular bone, subchondral bone, enthesis, and tendon body were identified, and T2* values were quantified and compared.

Results

Quadriceps tendon enthesis was visible as a hyper-intense signal. The largest and the lowest T2* values were quantified in the subchondral bone region and the tendon body respectively. T2* value within subchondral bone was significantly higher than T2* value within the enthesis. T2* in subchondral bone region was significantly higher than the whole tendon body T2*.

Conclusion

A T2* gradient was observed along the axis from the enthesis toward the tendon body. It illustrates different water biophysical properties. These results provide normative values which could be used in the field of inflammatory rheumatologic diseases and mechanical disorders affecting the tendon.

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Data availability

All the dataset are available locally at CRMBM-CEMEREM, Timone Hospital, Marseille France.

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Funding

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Locomotion, Department of Radiology, APHM, Sainte-Marguerite Hospital, 270 Bd Sainte Marguerite, 13009, Marseille, France

    Daphne Guenoun

  2. Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Inst Movement Sci, Marseille, France

    Daphne Guenoun

  3. Service de Rhumatologie, AP-HM, Marseille, France

    Theo Wirth, Damien Roche, Jean Pierre Mattei & Sandrine Guis

  4. Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France

    Theo Wirth, Constance P. Michel, Pierre Daudé, Christophe Chagnaud, Jean Pierre Mattei, Lauriane Pini, Maxime Guye, Matthieu Ollivier, David Bendahan & Sandrine Guis

  5. Inserm UMRs1097, Arthrites Autoimmunes, Marseille, France

    Theo Wirth & Sandrine Guis

  6. CRMBM-CEMEREM, UMR CNRS 7339, Marseille, France

    Constance P. Michel, Pierre Daudé, Augustin C. Ogier, Lauriane Pini, Maxime Guye & David Bendahan

  7. Service de Radiologie, Hôpital de La Conception, AP-HM, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France

    Augustin C. Ogier & Christophe Chagnaud

  8. Aix Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS, LIS, Marseille, France

    Christophe Chagnaud

  9. Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Institute of Movement and Locomotion, St. Marguerite Hospital, 270 Boulevard Sainte Marguerite, BP 29, 13274, Marseille, France

    Matthieu Ollivier

Authors
  1. Daphne Guenoun
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  2. Theo Wirth
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Contributions

DG: manuscript writing/editing. TW: data collection. DR: data collection/manuscript writing. CM: manuscript review. PD: manuscript review. AO: data analysis. CC: data analysis. JPM: manuscript review. LP: data analysis. MG: management. MO: manuscript. review/management. DB: protocol/project development/management. SG: protocol/project development/management.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daphne Guenoun.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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The authors declare no competing interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the local Ethic committee (registration number: 2016-A00427-44).

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Guenoun, D., Wirth, T., Roche, D. et al. Ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging of the quadriceps tendon enthesis in healthy subjects. Surg Radiol Anat 45, 1049–1054 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03175-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03175-y

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