Abstract
Objective
To quantitatively assess the relationship between bone marrow edema-like lesions (BMELs) and the associated cartilage in knee osteoarthritis (OA) using T1ρ quantification at 3 T MRI.
Materials and Methods
Twenty-four patients with knee OA and 14 control subjects underwent 3 T MRI. Nineteen patients and all control subjects had 1-year follow-up studies. The volume and signal intensity difference of BMELs were calculated. Cartilage degeneration was graded using the cartilage subscore of Whole-Organ MRI Score (WORMS) analysis. Cartilage T1ρ values were calculated in each compartment as well as in cartilage overlying BMELs (OC) and surrounding cartilage (SC).
Results
At baseline, 25 BMELs were found in 16 out of 24 patients. The overall T1ρ values were significantly higher in patients with BMELs than in those without BMELs. At baseline and follow-up, both T1ρ values and WORMS cartilage subscore grading were significantly higher in OC than SC. Cartilage T1ρ increase from baseline to follow-up in OC was significantly higher than that in SC. An increase in T1ρ values in OC was correlated with signal intensity of BMEL at both baseline and follow-up, but was not correlated with BMEL volume.
Conclusions
The results of this study suggest a local spatial correlation between BMELs and more advanced and accelerated cartilage degeneration. MRI T1ρ quantification in cartilage provides a sensitive tool for evaluating such correlations.
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Acknowledgement
This study was supported by NIH RO1 AR46905 and NIH K25 AR053633, and fellowship from the third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, China. The authors would like to thank Eric Han from GE Healthcare Global Applied Sciences Laboratory for his help with T1ρ sequence development.
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Zhao, J., Li, X., Bolbos, R.I. et al. Longitudinal assessment of bone marrow edema-like lesions and cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis using 3 T MR T1rho quantification. Skeletal Radiol 39, 523–531 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-010-0892-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-010-0892-6