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Fast T2 mapping of the patellar articular cartilage with gradient and spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T: validation and initial clinical experience in patients with osteoarthritis

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the T2 mapping of patellar articular cartilage in patients with osteoarthritis using gradient and spin-echo (GRASE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials and methods

After the imaging of a phantom consisting of two sealed 50-ml test objects with different concentrations (30% and 90% weight/volume) of copper sulphate, the T2 mapping of patellar articular cartilage was performed in 35 patients (21 male and 14 female; mean age ± SD 42 ± 17 years) with moderate degree of patellar osteoarthritis. Turbo-spin-echo (TSE) (TR milliseconds/minimum–maximum TE milliseconds 3,000/15–120; total acquisition time 5 min 52 s) and GRASE (TR milliseconds/minimum–maximum TE milliseconds 3,000/15–120; total acquisition time 1 min 51 s) were employed. In each patient patellar cartilage was segmented at nine locations (three superior, three central, and three inferior) by manually defined regions of interest. T2 relaxation times were calculated using a linear fit applied to the logarithm of signal intensity decay.

Results

In the phantom the T2 values measured by GRASE were similar to those measured by MR spectroscopy (test object 1: 48.1 ms vs 51 ms; test object 2: 66.8 ms vs 71 ms; P > 0.05, Wilcoxon test). In patients GRASE and TSE-derived T2 values demonstrated good agreement (mean difference ± SD, 1.81 ± 3.63 ms). The within-patient coefficient of variation was 22% for TSE and 23% for GRASE.

Conclusion

Fast T2 mapping of the patellar articular cartilage can be performed with GRASE within a third of the time of that of standard sequences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Cattinara Hospital, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume 447, 34149, Trieste, Italy

    Emilio Quaia, Maja Ukmar, Alexia Rossi & Maria Assunta Cova

  2. ARCHES, Castellana, Grotte, Italy

    Renato Toffanin

  3. Department of Radiology, University of Foggia, Viale L. Pinto, 71100, Foggia, Italy

    Giuseppe Guglielmi

  4. Department of Radiology, Scientific Institute “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”, Viale dei Cappuccini, 71013, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy

    Giuseppe Guglielmi

  5. Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

    Bruno Martinelli

Authors
  1. Emilio Quaia
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  2. Renato Toffanin
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  3. Giuseppe Guglielmi
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  4. Maja Ukmar
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  5. Alexia Rossi
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  6. Bruno Martinelli
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  7. Maria Assunta Cova
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emilio Quaia.

Additional information

This study was performed thanks to the support of a private grant, “Arduino Ratti”, provided through the Italian Society of Medical Radiology.

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Quaia, E., Toffanin, R., Guglielmi, G. et al. Fast T2 mapping of the patellar articular cartilage with gradient and spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T: validation and initial clinical experience in patients with osteoarthritis. Skeletal Radiol 37, 511–517 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-008-0478-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-008-0478-8

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