Stefan Zbyn1,2, David Stelzeneder1,
Goetz Hannes Welsch1,3, Lukas L. Negrin4, Vladimir
Juras1,5, Pavol Szomolanyi1,5, Ronald Dorotka2,
Siegfried Trattnig1
1Department of Radiology,
Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 2Department of
Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 3Department
of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany; 4Department
of Trauma Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria; 5Department
of Imaging Methods, Institute of Measurement Science - SAS, Bratislava,
Slovakia
The aim was to apply gradient-echo sequence optimized for sodium imaging at 7T for the evaluation of repaired tissue glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in the patients after bone marrow stimulation (BMS) and matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) treatment of articular cartilage. Significantly lower GAG content was found in the repaired tissue in comparison to the native cartilage in both treatment groups and significantly lower GAG content was observed in BMS repair tissue in comparison to MACT repair tissue. Our results suggest that the MACT treatment provides higher GAG content and therefore higher quality repair tissue in comparison to the BMS techniques.