Two for One—Combined Morphologic and Quantitative Knee Joint MRI Using a Versatile Turbo Spin-Echo Platform
Diagnostics, vol. 14, pp. 978
Abstract
Quantitative MRI techniques such as T2 and T1ρ mapping are beneficial in evaluating knee joint pathologies; however, long acquisition times limit their clinical adoption. MIXTURE (Multi-Interleaved X-prepared Turbo Spin-Echo with IntUitive RElaxometry) provides a versatile turbo spin-echo (TSE) platform for simultaneous morphologic and quantitative joint imaging. Two MIXTURE sequences were designed along clinical requirements: “MIX1”, combining proton density (PD)-weighted fat-saturated (FS) images and T2 mapping (acquisition time: 4:59 min), and “MIX2”, combining T1-weighted images and T1ρ mapping (6:38 min). MIXTURE sequences and their reference 2D and 3D TSE counterparts were acquired from ten human cadaveric knee joints at 3.0 T. Contrast, contrast-to-noise ratios, and coefficients of variation were comparatively evaluated using parametric tests. Clinical radiologists (n = 3) assessed diagnostic quality as a function of sequence and anatomic structure using five-point Likert scales and ordinal regression, with a significance level of α = 0.01. MIX1 and MIX2 had at least equal diagnostic quality compared to reference sequences of the same image weighting. Contrast, contrast-to-noise ratios, and coefficients of variation were largely similar for the PD-weighted FS and T1-weighted images. In clinically feasible scan times, MIXTURE sequences yield morphologic, TSE-based images of diagnostic quality and quantitative parameter maps with additional insights on soft tissue composition and ultrastructure.
Authors 13
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Teresa Lemainque corresponding Aachen Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Medical Faculty
Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Düsseldorf University Hospital · Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, University Dusseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Philips (Netherlands) · Philips (Germany)
Affiliation as printed
Philips GmbH Market DACH, 22335 Hamburg, Germany
Philips Healthcare, 5684 PZ Best, The Netherlands
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Philips Japan, Limited (Japan)
Affiliation as printed
Philips Japan, Tokyo 108-8507, Japan
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Christiane Katharina Kuhl Aachen Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Medical Faculty
Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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