Cartilage Quality Assessment using gagCEST & Sodium MRI at 7 Tesla

Benjamin Schmitt¹, Stefan Zbyn^2,3, David Stelzeneder², Vladimir Jellus⁴, Dominik Paul⁴, Lars Lauer⁴, Peter Bachert¹, Siegfried Trattnig²

A new imaging method based on GRE that allows for acquisition of volumetric gagCEST image datasets in clinically relevant scan times is introduced. Reliability and glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-specificity are evaluated by comparison of results from the new technique to results obtained with sodium imaging in a patient study at 7 Tesla. All patients had cartilage repair surgery in the knee prior to examination, and a strong correlation be-tween gagCEST results, and sodium imaging was found. Cartilage repair regions could be equally well deline-ated from healthy cartilage with both imaging techniques.