Abstract #0887

Isotropic MRI of the Upper Extremity with 3D-FSE-Cube

Lauren M. Shapiro¹, Alicia M. Jenkins¹, Kathryn J. Stevens¹, Charles Q. Li¹, Weitian Chen², Anja C.S. Brau², Brian A. Hargreaves¹, Garry E. Gold³

¹Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States; ²Applied Science Laboratory, GE Healthcare, Menlo Park, CA, United States; ³Radiology, Bioengineering, Orthopedics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States

Two-dimensional fast spin-echo (2D-FSE) is commonly used to image the upper extremity, however it is limited by slice gaps, partial volume artifact and poor quality reformats. Three-dimensional fast spin-echo (3D-FSE-Cube) overcomes these limitations by acquiring isotropic data, allowing for reformations in oblique planes while decreasing exam time. Our study compared 2D-FSE with 3D-FSE-Cube at 3.0T in the upper extremity. 3D-FSE-Cube demonstrated similar or significantly higher signal-to-noise compared with 2D-FSE. 3D-FSE-Cube images were slightly worse than 2D-FSE with respect to blurring, artifacts, and overall image quality. 3D-FSE-Cube may improve visualization of complex upper extremity anatomy and make multiple 2D acquisitions unnecessary.