We investigated the use of magnetization transfer ratio MTR and ihMTRex as a potential surrogate of cartilage strain, using ex vivo cow knee specimens in a uniaxial compression rig. On MTR and ihMTRex image volumes for several load levels, the cartilage strain and average MTR or ihMTRex for each column of pixels within the cartilage were calculated. Normalized change in MTR showed a linear relation with strain throughout the tested range of deformation, whereas ihMTRex only showed response at the highest load levels. These techniques may be an attractive alternative to T2 or T1ρ techniques to map cartilage strain.
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