Abstract #0543

Noseworthy M, Sussman M, White L, Saupe N

DT-MRI, offers the opportunity to study the microstructure of skeletal muscle. The theory is that cell membranes and other structures restrict the diffusion of molecules and that for elongated cells and other media with anisotropic tortuosity, this restriction is greater in some directions than in others.The aim of this study was to evaluate the imaging parameters necessary to perform DT-MRI at 1.5T and 3T in normal humal skeletal muscle using different b-values and to calculate and to determine a number of quantitative parameters to characterize diffusion anisotropy in organized tissue.The study demonstrates useful parameters to perform DT-MRI at 1.5T and 3T.DT-MRI at 1.5 and 3T provides in vivo validation of quantitative structural analysis of human skeletal muscle.