Comparison of T1ρ quantification, SNR, and reproducibility in 3D Magnetization-Prepared Angle-Modulated Partitioned k-space Spoiled Gradient Echo Snapshots (3D MAPSS) and 3D Fast Spin Echo (CubeQuant) techniques.

Though T2 cartilage mapping has been shown to be sequence dependent, few studies have looked at the inter-sequence variation of cartilage T1ρ quantification. This study compares T1ρ quantification, SNR, and reproducibility of the MAPSS and CubeQuant T1ρ sequences. Four healthy controls received unilateral knee scans. Each patient was scanned twice and was removed from the scanner between scans. Significant differences were found in T1ρ quantification with comparable SNR and reproducibility. This study highlights the importance of using same sequences for quantitative cartilage imaging in multicenter studies.