Yukihisa Takayama1, Masamitsu Hatakenaka1, Ken Okazaki2, Takashi Yoshiura1, Kei Nishikawa3, Tomoyuki Okuaki4, Ivan Zimine4, Hiroshi Honda1
1Department of Clinical Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; 2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; 3Radiology Center, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan; 4Philips Electronics Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for cartilage assessment provides useful information without invasive procedure. In addition to morphologic assessment, MR imaging can evaluate the biochemical properties of articular cartilages using various parameters. T1r relaxation time can be used to assess the glycosaminoglycan content of articular cartilage. However, the time required for MR examination can be disadvantageous for the patient. In this study, we assessed a simplified T1r relaxation time calculation method using only two different T1r prepared images, which can decrease the exam time. Additionally, we investigated the quality and efficacy of this method for diagnosing the knee.
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