Evaluation of cartilage degeneration using multiparametric quantitative ultrashort echo time-based MRI: an ex vivo study

Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery

article

Hongda Shao¹  Jiawei Yang²  Yajun Ma⁴  Xiaolian Su³  Guangyu Tang³  Junjie Jiang⁷  Jiang Du⁴  Jianjun Liu¹ 

[1] Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital , Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine;Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine , Zhejiang University;Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital , Tongji University School of Medicine;Department of Radiology , University of California;5 Department of Orthopedics, People’s Hospital of Jingjiang;6 Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital , Tongji University School of Medicine;Department of Orthopedics, People’s Hospital of Jingjiang;Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital , Tongji University School of Medicine

关键词: Osteoarthritis (OA);    cartilage degeneration;    magnetic resonance imaging;    ultrashort echo time (UTE);   

DOI  :  10.21037/qims-21-550

学科分类：外科医学

来源: AME Publications

【 摘 要 】

Background: The quantitative MR techniques developed rapidly, vary MR-biomarkers have shown the ability to assess the quality of articular cartilage. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of multi-parametric quantitative ultrashort echo time (UTE)-based MRI for evaluating human cartilage degeneration. Methods: Twenty fresh anterolateral femoral condyle samples were obtained from 20 patients (age, 58.8±6.6 years; 6 females) who underwent total knee arthroplasty due to primary osteoarthritis (OA). The samples were imaged using UTE-based magnetization transfer (UTE-MT), UTE-based adiabatic T1ρ (UTE-AdiabT1ρ), UTE-based T2* (UTE-T2*), and CubeQuant-T2 sequences. Cartilage degeneration was classified based on the OA Research Society International grade and polarized light microscopy (PLM) collagen organization score. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between quantitative MRI biomarkers [UTE-MT ratio (UTE-MTR), UTE-AdiabT1ρ, UTE-T2*, and CubeQuant-T2], OA Research Society International grade, and PLM collagen organization score. The diagnostic efficacy of each MRI biomarker for the detection of mild cartilage degeneration was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Results: Of the quantitative MRI biomarkers, UTE-MTR had the strongest correlation with both OA Research Society International grade (r=–0.709, P<0.001) and PLM collagen organization score (r=0.579, P<0.001). The UTE-MTR and UTE-AdiabT1ρ values showed significant differences between the normal group and the mild degeneration group (P=0.047 and 0.015, respectively), while UTE-T2* and CubeQuant-T2 did not. The UTE-MTR values were 15.90%±1.06% and 14.59%±1.35% for normal and mildly degenerated cartilage, respectively. The UTE-AdiabT1ρ values were 40.19±2.87 and 42.6±2.26 ms for normal and mildly degenerated cartilage, respectively. ROC analysis showed that UTE-MTR (AUC =0.805, P=0.001, sensitivity =73.7%, specificity =89.5%) had the highest diagnostic efficacy for mild cartilage degeneration, while UTE-AdiabT1ρ (AUC =0.727, P=0.017) and CubeQuant-T2 (AUC =0.712, P=0.026) showed lower diagnostic efficacy. Conclusions: Quantitative UTE-MT and UTE-AdiabT1ρ biomarkers may potentially be used in the evaluation of early cartilage degeneration.

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