Hongda Shao1, Soorena Azam ZAnganeh1, Eric Chang1, Graeme Bydder1, and Jiang Du1
Articular cartilage is a highly ordered tissue
with an organized layered structure that can be functionally and structurally
divided into the superficial, transitional, radial and the calcified
cartilage. By exploiting intrinsic magnetic resonance (MR) properties
of cartilage, current techniques allow for the non-invasive assessment of many
of the structural components. More recently, ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging
sequences have been used to investigate the T2* relaxation times of bound and
free water components in different layers of articular cartilage. However, the depth dependence of longitudinal
relaxation times, or T1s are still unknown.
In this study we aim to study the T1s of bound and free water in different
layers of patella cartilage using UTE imaging sequences on a clinical 3T
scanner.
