Abstract
Abstract
Objective
To establish and optimize a stable 3 Tesla (T) glycosaminoglycan chemical exchange saturation transfer (gagCEST) imaging protocol for assessing the articular cartilage of the tibiotalar joint in healthy volunteers and patients after a sustained injury to the ankle.
Methods
Using Bloch–McConnell simulations, we optimized the sequence protocol for a 3 T MRI scanner for maximum gagCEST effect size within a clinically feasible time frame of less than 07:30 min. This protocol was then used to analyze the gagCEST effect of the articular cartilage of the tibiotalar joint of 17 healthy volunteers and five patients with osteochondral lesions of the talus following ankle trauma. Reproducibility was tested with the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Results
The mean magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTRasym), i.e., the gagCEST effect size, was significantly lower in patients than in healthy volunteers (0.34 ± 1.9% vs. 1.49 ± 0.11%; p < 0.001 [linear mixed model]). Intra- and inter-rater reproducibility was excellent with an average measure intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.97 and a single measure ICC of 0.91 (p < 0.01).
Discussion
In this feasibility study, pre-morphological tibiotalar joint cartilage damage was quantitatively assessable on the basis of the optimized 3 T gagCEST imaging protocol that allowed stable quantification gagCEST effect sizes across a wide range of health and disease in clinically feasible acquisition times.
Funder
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Medizinische Fakultät, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging,Radiological and Ultrasound Technology,Biophysics
Cited by
17 articles.
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