Karupppasamy Subburaj1, Deepak Kumar1, 2, Richard B. Souza1, 2, Hamza Alizai1, Xiaojuan Li1, Thomas M. Link1, Sharmila Majumdar1
1Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; 2Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
The mechanical function of the meniscus largely depends on the structural and molecular integrity of its matrix, composed of a network of collagen fibers (Type I) immobilizing proteoglycans (PG). Recent studies have shown the potential of quantitative MR imaging, including T2 and T1ρ quantifications for studying biochemical composition of meniscus. The purpose of this study was to determine the response of PG and collagen, which are responsible for the compressive stiffness and tensile strength of meniscus [5], respectively, to static- and cyclic-loading using magnetic resonance (MR) relaxation times (T1ρ and T2) in young healthy adults.