High-Resolution Uniform Imaging of Finger Joints Using a Dedicated RF Coil at 3.0T

Wingchi Edmund Kwok¹, Zhigang You¹, Johnny Monu¹, Gwysuk Seo¹

Insufficient resolution in MRI of finger joints can hinder early diagnosis of arthritic diseases. We developed a dedicated RF receiver coil for high-resolution uniform MRI of fingers at 3T. Phantom studies show that the dedicated cylindrical coil provides higher and more uniform signal compared to a planar coil of similar size. Using the dedicated coil, in vivo and in vitro 3D images of finger joints were obtained using isotropic resolution of 160 microns under 10minutes. These images reveal detailed structures of the whole finger joint. Our technique should be useful for early diagnosis, treatment assessment and basic research of arthritides.