Abstract
Conventional X-ray absorption contrast imaging does not depict soft tissues, such as cartilage, in sufficient detail. For visualization of the soft tissues, X-ray phase-contrast imaging is more sensitive than absorption-contrast imaging. The basic concept of the X-ray phase-contrast imaging used in this study is similar to that of differential interference contrast (Nomarski) microscopy. We applied Talbot–Lau X-ray interferometry to visualize the joint structures in the right hand and knee of a donated cadaver. This imaging system simultaneously produced three different types of images: an absorption image, a differential phase image, and a visibility image. The interface between the articular cartilage of the metacarpo-phalangeal joint and fluid or the bony cortex was clearly demonstrated on the differential phase image, whereas this interface was unclear on the absorption image. Within the knee joint, the surface of the articular cartilage was demonstrated both on the differential phase and visibility images; the medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus were also visualized successfully. These results are clinically significant for the diagnosis and therapeutic estimation of rheumatoid arthritis and related joint diseases. This feasibility study on the clinical application of this imaging tool was a collaborative effort of researchers in the fields of physics, radiology, and gross anatomy.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Tsukasa Itou and Sumiya Nagatsuka, R&D Center, Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc. for their support with the development of the imaging system. We acknowledge with gratitude Kazumasa Fujita, a chief technician of Department of Anatomy, Saitama Medical University, for his help with the cadaver management and manipulation. We also thank Yukihito Wada, a chief radiological technician of Saitama Medical University Hospital, for his assistance with the imaging procedures. Finally, we wish to thank Professor Dr. Hiromi Oda and Professor Dr. Toshihide Mimura, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Rheumatology, Saitama Medical University, who kindly read this manuscript and gave valuable comments. This study was supported by SENTAN, JST (A.M.).
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Parts of this study have been presented at the annual meetings of the Japanese Research Society of Clinical Anatomy (2010, Kanazawa) and of the European Association of Clinical Anatomist (2011, Padova) by M.N. and at the International Workshop on X-ray and Neutron Phase Imaging with Gratings by J.K. (Kiyohara et al. 2012)
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Nagashima, M., Tanaka, J., Kiyohara, J. et al. Application of X-ray grating interferometry for the imaging of joint structures. Anat Sci Int 89, 95–100 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-013-0204-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-013-0204-z