Spatial analysis of magnetic resonance T1rho and T2 relaxation times improves classification between subjects with and without osteoarthritis.

Purpose: Studies have shown that functional analysis of knee cartilage based on magnetic resonance (MR) relaxation times is a valuable tool in the understanding of osteoarthritis (OA). In this work, the regional spatial distribution of knee cartilage T1rho, and T2 relaxation times based on texture and laminar analyses was studied to investigate if they provide additional insight compared to global mean values in the study of OA.

Methods: Knee cartilage of 36 subjects, 19 healthy controls and 17 with mild OA, was divided into 16 compartments.

Assessment of intervertebral disc degeneration with magnetic resonance single-voxel spectroscopy.

This study examined the feasibility of using short-echo water-suppressed point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) on a clinical 3T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner for evaluating biochemical changes in degenerated bovine and cadaveric human intervertebral discs. In bovine discs (N = 17), degeneration was induced with papain injections. Degeneration of human cadaveric discs (N = 27) was assessed using the Pfirrmann grading on T(2)-weighted images.