ABSTRACT
Purpose To investigate the feasibility of T1 measurement using multi-slice inversion recovery turbo spin echo (IR-TSE) and variable flip angle three-dimensional fast low angle shot (3D FLASH) for full-joint coverage delayed gadolinium enhanced MRI of the cartilage. Materials and Methods MR phantoms using dilated gadolinium solution with different concentrations and ex vivo bovine cartilages were scanned using multi-slice IR-TSE and variable flip angle 3D FLASH sequences and the T1 values were calculated. The referring T1 value were obtained using single slice IR-TSE sequence. Results On phantom study, the correlation coefficiencies between multi-slice IR-TSE, 3D FLASH sequences and single slice IR-TSE was 1.000 and 0.997, respectively, where P<0.001 on ex vivo bovine cartilage study, the T1 values of the trypsin degraded species measured by single-slice, multi-slice IR-TSE and 3D-FLASH were significantly lower than the control species. The correlation coefficiency between single-slice and multi-slice IR-FSE on the control group, the trypsin degraded group and both was 0.821(P=0.012), 0.968(P=0.001), and 0.953(P=0.001) respectively. The correlation coefficiency between single-slice IR-FSE and 3D-FLASH on the trypsin degraded group, control group and both was 0.199(P=0.637), 0.757(P=0.030), and 0.775(P=0.001) respectively, where P<0.001. Conclusion Both Multi-slice IR-TSE and variable flip angle 3D-FLASH sequences can be applied for T1 measurement of the full joint cartilage.