Abstract #1241

Reynolds H, Yoshioka H, Lang P, Neumann G

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an excellent modality for non-invasive evaluation of cartilage lesions in knees. T2-weighted contrast with low to intermediate cartilage signal and high fluid signal is one of the primary methods to establish contrast in cartilage. Although several types of pulse sequences have been proposed for evaluating cartilage (1,2), the optimum sequence(s) has yet to be determined. The purpose of this study is to generate diagnostic-quality T2-weighted images with high spatial resolution at 3.0 Tesla, all within 10 minutes. We propose the use of the refocused SSFP echo to generate T2-weighted images for better delineation of cartilage and fluid in muscular-skeletal joints.