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High-resolution MR imaging of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC): comparison of microscopy coils and a conventional small surface coil

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Abstract

Objective

To compare MR images of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) using microscopy coils with those using a conventional surface coil qualitatively and quantitatively.

Design and patients

Proton density-weighted images and T2*-weighted images of the TFCC from ten normal volunteers were obtained with a conventional surface coil (C4 coil; 80 mm in diameter), a 47-mm microscopy surface coil and a 23-mm microscopy surface coil) at 1.5 T. Qualitative image analysis of MR images with three coils was performed by two radiologists who assigned one of five numerical scores (0, nonvisualization; 1, poor; 2, average; 3, good; 4, excellent) for five TFCC components, which were disc proper, triangular ligament, meniscus homologue, ulnotriquetral and ulnolunate ligament. Quantitative analysis included the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the disc proper of TFCC, the lunate cartilage, the lunate bone and the contrast-noise-ratio (C/N) between articular cartilage and disc proper or bone marrow were measured.

Results

All structures show higher scores qualitatively on MR with microscopy coils than those with a C4 coil, and the difference was significant with the exception of the ulnolunate ligament. MR with microscopy coils showed significantly higher S/N values than those with a conventional surface coil (P<0.05 to P<0.001). T2*-weighted images using microscopy coils showed significantly higher cartilage-disc proper C/N and cartilage-bone marrow C/N (P<0.01 to P<0.001). On proton density-weighted images, the C/N between cartilage and disc proper with two microscopy coils was significantly higher (P<0.01) than that with a conventional coil.

Conclusion

High-resolution MR images of the normal wrist using microscopy coils were superior to those using a conventional surface coil qualitatively and quantitatively. High-resolution MR imaging with a microscopy coil would be a promising method to diagnose TFCC lesions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

    Hiroshi Yoshioka, Teruko Ueno & Yuji Itai

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tsukuba Kinen Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan

    Toshikazu Tanaka

  3. Tsukuba University Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan

    Masashi Shindo

  4. Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Hiroshi Yoshioka

Authors
  1. Hiroshi Yoshioka
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  2. Teruko Ueno
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  3. Toshikazu Tanaka
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  4. Masashi Shindo
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  5. Yuji Itai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroshi Yoshioka.

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Yoshioka, H., Ueno, T., Tanaka, T. et al. High-resolution MR imaging of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC): comparison of microscopy coils and a conventional small surface coil. Skeletal Radiol 32, 575–581 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-003-0672-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-003-0672-7

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