Direct traction MR imaging of the wrist: practical experience.

Objective: To study the effect of direct wrist traction on patient pain and joint distraction on MRI.

Materials And Methods: 291 patients (109 males, 182 females; mean age, 45.8 years) who underwent wrist MRI between November 2019 and September 2024 were studied (152 patients with traction, 139 patients without traction).

Perfusion Imaging of the Musculoskeletal System.

Perfusion imaging is the aspect of functional imaging, which is most applicable to the musculoskeletal system. In this review, the anatomy and physiology of bone perfusion is briefly outlined as are the methods of acquiring perfusion data on MR imaging. The current clinical indications of perfusion related to the assessment of soft tissue and bone tumors, synovitis, osteoarthritis, avascular necrosis, Keinbock's disease, diabetic foot, osteochondritis dissecans, and Paget's disease of bone are reviewed.

Positional MR imaging of normal and injured knees.

Objectives: This study uses a practical positional MRI protocol to evaluate tibiofemoral translation and rotation in normal and injured knees.

Methods: Following ethics approval, positional knee MRI of both knees was performed at 35° flexion, extension, and hyperextension in 34 normal subjects (mean age 31.1 ± 10 years) and 51 knee injury patients (mean age 36.

Lower Posterior Cingulate N-Acetylaspartate to Creatine Level in Early Detection of Biologically Defined Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was recently defined as a biological construct to reflect neuropathologic status, and both abnormal amyloid and tau are required for a diagnosis of AD. We aimed to determine the proton MR spectroscopic (1H-MRS) patterns of the posterior cingulate in biologically defined AD. A total of 68 participants were included in this study, comprising 37 controls, 16 early AD, and 15 late AD, who were classified according to their amyloid and tau status and presence of hippocampal atrophy.

Frequency drift in MR spectroscopy at 3T.

Purpose: Heating of gradient coils and passive shim components is a common cause of instability in the B field, especially when gradient intensive sequences are used. The aim of the study was to set a benchmark for typical drift encountered during MR spectroscopy (MRS) to assess the need for real-time field-frequency locking on MRI scanners by comparing field drift data from a large number of sites.

Method: A standardized protocol was developed for 80 participating sites using 99 3T MR scanners from 3 major vendors.

Implications of Abdominal Adipose Tissue Distribution on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Metabolic Syndrome: A Chinese General Population Study.

Introduction: Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) has been found to play a critical role in the development of metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) independent of generalized obesity.

Methods: In this secondary study of prospectively acquired data, 625 participants underwent magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemical shift fat-water separation MRI (2-point Dixon) of the liver and whole abdomen, respectively, in a 3 Tesla magnet. Whole abdominal VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were extracted from the 2-point Dixon image series using an automated method.

MRI wrist in early rheumatoid arthritis: reduction in inflammation assessed quantitatively during treatment period correlates best with clinical improvement.

Objective: To investigate (a) which MR features of inflammation (synovitis, tenosynovitis, perfusion) correlate with clinical/serological features in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) before, during and after 1 year of treatment and (b) whether quantitative or semi-quantitative measures of inflammation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides the highest correlation in this regard.

Method: One hundred one ERA patients (76 females, 25 males, mean age, 53 ± 12 years) underwent clinical/serological testing and 3 T dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of the most symptomatic wrist. Seventy-seven of the 101 patients completed 1 year of treatment, followed by repeat MR examination.

Unaltered Brain GABA Concentrations and Resting fMRI Activity in Functional Dyspepsia With and Without Comorbid Depression.

Background: GABA-deficit characterizes depression (MDD), which is highly comorbid with Functional Dyspepsia (FD). We examined brain GABA concentrations and resting activities in post-prandial distress subtype FD (FD-PDS) patients with and without MDD.

Methods: 24 female age/education-matched FD-PDS with comorbid MDD (FD-PDS-MDD), non-depressed FD-PDS, and healthy controls each were compared on GABA concentrations, resting fMRI (fALFF) in bilateral pregenual anterior cingulate (pgACC), left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), insula, and somatosensory cortex (SSC).

The relationship between pancreas steatosis and the risk of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in Chinese adolescents with concurrent obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: The incidence of childhood obesity and associated comorbidities are on an increasing trend worldwide. More than 340 million children and adolescents aged between 5 and 19 years old were overweight or had obesity in 2016, from which over 124 million children and adolescents (6% of girls and 8% of boys) had obesity.

Objective: To describe the relationship between pancreas steatosis, body fat and the risk of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents with both obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

ERAMRS: a new MR scoring system for early rheumatoid arthritis of the wrist.

Purpose: To (i) devise a new semi-quantitative scoring system known as Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Score (ERAMRS) to assess inflammation of the wrist on magnetic resonance imaging in early rheumatoid arthritis and to (ii) test ERAMRS and other MR scoring systems against everyday used clinical scorings.

Materials And Methods: One hundred six treatment-naïve patients (81 females, 25 males, mean age 53 ± 12 years) with early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) underwent clinical/serological testing as well as 3-T MRI examination of the most symptomatic wrist. Clinical assessment included Disease Activity Score-28 and Health Assessment Questionnaire; erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were measured.

Validation of water-fat MRI and proton MRS in assessment of hepatic fat and the heterogeneous distribution of hepatic fat and iron in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Research studies demonstrated pathologic lesions were unevenly distributed in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. As hepatic steatosis occurs prior to steatohepatitis and other late stage liver conditions, the distribution pattern of hepatic fat and iron concentration should be investigated to prevent sampling variability. The first purpose of this study was to perform comparison and validation of in-house hepatic fat measurements using water-fat MRI and MRS.

Observed changes in brown, white, hepatic and pancreatic fat after bariatric surgery: Evaluation with MRI.

Objectives: To study the change in brown and white adipose tissue (BAT and WAT), as well as fat content in the liver and pancreas, in patients with morbid obesity before and after bariatric surgery.

Methods: Twelve patients with morbid obesity (F=8, M=4, age: 45.4 years (38.

Achilles Tendon Xanthomas: Fat-Water Separation at Baseline and after Treatment.

Purpose To investigate the fat-water content of Achilles tendon xanthomas at baseline and after treatment and to compare this assessment with that of ultrasonography (US) and other magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based parameters. Materials and Methods Forty-eight Achilles tendons with clinically apparent xanthomas in 24 patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) (six men, 18 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 58 years ± 9) were compared with 20 Achilles tendons in 10 control subjects without FH (two men, eight women; mean age, 62 years ± 7). US imaging measurements (thickness, width, cross-sectional area, echogenicity) and 3.

Ankle Traction During MRI of Talar Dome Osteochondral Lesions.

Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the impact of axial traction during MRI of talar dome osteochondral lesions using a small-FOV coil.

Subjects And Methods: A prospective study of 33 patients undergoing high-resolution MRI of the ankle using a microscopy coil with and without axial traction was performed. Two radiologists independently measured the tibiotalar joint space width and semiquantitatively graded intraarticular joint fluid dispersion, cartilage surface visibility of the osteochondral lesion, and cartilage surface visibility elsewhere in the tibiotalar joint before and after traction.

Increased Glutamate in Somatosensory Cortex in Functional Dyspepsia.

Functional Dyspepsia-Post-prandial Distress Syndrome (FD-PDS) was associated with mood-related increases in resting activity and lowered activation threshold in the somatosensory cortex (SSC), insula and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex(pgACC) in functional imaging studies. The underlying cortical neurochemical changes are unknown. We performed proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS) on 17 consecutive tertiary clinic-recruited psychotropic-naïve Rome III FD-PDS female and 17 age-sex matched healthy controls.

Effect of traction on wrist joint space and cartilage visibility with and without MR arthrography.

Objective: To compare the effect of traction during non-arthrographic and arthrographic MR examination of the wrist with regard to joint space width, joint fluid dispersion and cartilage surface visibility.

Methods: Prospective 3-T MRI study of 100 wrists in 96 patients. The first 50 wrists underwent MR arthrography first without traction and then with traction.

Quantification of brown and white adipose tissue based on Gaussian mixture model using water-fat and T2* MRI in adolescents.

Purpose: To develop a technique for the separation and quantification of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT) using fat fraction and T2* intensity based on the Gaussian mixture model (GMM).

Materials And Methods: Chemical-shift water-fat and T2* images were acquired at the neck, supraclavicular, interscapular, and paravertebral regions in 24 volunteers (Obese: n = 12, female/male = 6/6, body mass index [BMI] = 31.3 ± 2.

Elbow MR arthrography with traction.

Objective: To assess the effect of axial traction during MR arthrography (MRA) of the elbow joint on joint space widening, contrast dispersion between opposing cartilage surfaces and cartilage surface visibility.

Methods: 11 patients with elbow MRA with and without axial traction were prospectively studied. Two radiologists independently measured the elbow joint space width and semi-quantitatively graded contrast material dispersion between the opposing cartilage surfaces as well as the articular cartilage surface visibility before and after traction.

Wrist Traction During MR Arthrography Improves Detection of Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex and Intrinsic Ligament Tears and Visibility of Articular Cartilage.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of traction during MR arthrography of the wrist on joint space widening, cartilage visibility, and detection of tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) and intrinsic ligaments.

Subjects And Methods: A prospective study included 40 wrists in 39 patients (25 men, 14 women; mean age, 35 years). MR arthrography was performed with a 3-T MRI system with and without axial traction.

DCE-MRI for Pre-Treatment Prediction and Post-Treatment Assessment of Treatment Response in Sites of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Head and Neck.

Background And Purpose: It is important to identify patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) who fail to respond to chemoradiotherapy so that they can undergo post-treatment salvage surgery while the disease is still operable. This study aimed to determine the diagnostic performance of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MRI using a pharmacokinetic model for pre-treatment predictive imaging, as well as post-treatment diagnosis, of residual SCC at primary and nodal sites in the head and neck.

Material And Methods: Forty-nine patients with 83 SCC sites (primary and/or nodal) underwent pre-treatment DCE-MRI, and 43 patients underwent post-treatment DCE-MRI, of which 33 SCC sites had a residual mass amenable to analysis.

Fully automatic and nonparametric quantification of adipose tissue in fat-water separation MR imaging.

Despite increasing demand and research efforts, currently there is no consensus on the protocol for automated and reliable quantification of adipose tissue (AT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) using MRI. The purpose of this study was to propose a novel computational method with enhanced objectiveness for the quantification of AT and VAT in fat-water separation MRI. 3T data from IDEAL were acquired for the fat-water separation.

Computer-Aided Assessment of Spinal Inflammation on Magnetic Resonance Images in Patients With Spondyloarthritis.

Objective: To evaluate a computer-aided approach to the assessment of spinal inflammation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in spondyloarthritis as compared to visual assessment.

Methods: Following institutional ethics approval, 32 patients (mean ± SD age 35.3 ± 10.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging of the wrist in rheumatoid arthritis: dedicated low-field (0.25-T) versus high-field (3.0-T) MRI.

Objective: To compare the assessment of wrist synovitis severity, synovial volume and synovial perfusion parameters on a dedicated low-field (0.25-T) to that of a high-field (3-T) whole-body MR system in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Twenty-one patients (mean age 50.

Rapid increase in marrow fat content and decrease in marrow perfusion in lumbar vertebra following bilateral oophorectomy: an MR imaging-based prospective longitudinal study.

Objective: Bilateral oophorectomy leads to reduced bone mineral density (BMD), and reduced BMD is associated with increased marrow fat and reduced marrow perfusion. Purpose of this study was to investigate how soon these changes occur following surgical oophorectomy.

Materials And Methods: Six patients who underwent hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were studied.