Shear wave elastography and T2* mapping in the detection of early-stage trochlear cartilage damage.

Background: The presence of degenerative changes in joint cartilage is one of the major features in osteoarthritis.

Purpose: To investigate the contribution of shear wave elastography and T2* mapping to the early diagnosis of femoral trochlear cartilage damage.

Material And Methods: A total of 30 individuals whose trochlear cartilage structure was evaluated as normal in conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences (control group) were prospectively compared with 30 patients who had early-stage cartilage damage findings on conventional MRI (study group), by performing B-mode ultrasonography, shear wave elastography, and T2* mapping.