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Abstract #3169

Advanced Morphological 3D- Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) Scoring Using an Isotropic PDfs-Weighted 3D-TSE-Sequence and an Isotropic 3D-Steady-State Free Precession Sequence

Goetz Hannes Welsch1,2, Lukas Zak3, Tallal Charles Mamisch4, Dominik Paul5, Lars Lauer5, Friedrich Frank Hennig2, Stefan Marlovits6, Siegfried Trattnig1

1MR Center, Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany; 3Center for Joints and Cartilage, Department of Trauma Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria; 4Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; 5Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany; 6Center for Joints and Cartilage, Department of Trauma Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria


The recently described 3D-magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score was prepared by standard MR sequences, by an isotropic PDfs-weighted 3D-TSE-sequence (PD-SPACE), and by an isotropic 3D-steady-state-free-precession sequence (True-FISP) to assess correlations in the diagnostic performance of the different sequences in post-operative articular cartilage imaging. Although all sequences were able to assess cartilage repair tissue after matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation, the isotropic sequences with the possible multiplanar-reconstruction provided more information in less time. The PD-SPACE sequence seems slightly superior to the True-FISP sequence due to a better performance in the depiction of the subchondral bone and less artifacts.