Resolution ‘ scaling law ’ in MRI of articular cartilage

A recent editorial review in this journal discussed whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was fulfilling its promise for molecular imaging of cartilage in osteoarthritis (OA) and related joint diseases. Many issues in the implementation of three MRI techniques [T2, T1rho, and delayed gadoliniumenhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC)] were discussed in both clinical and high-resolution environments. Although the theoretical bases of these MRI techniques are reasonably comprehensible, quantitative correlations between the values of these MRI parameters and the healthy states of the cartilage tissue have not yet been proved to be reliable and consistent in clinical trials of OA. The authors concluded accurately that ‘‘the factors associated with cartilage degeneration may have differential and competing effects’’ on the values of these parameters. In this short note, we would like to participate in this discussion by exploring the influence of an additional factor, the image resolution, in MRI of cartilage, based on our limited experience in microscopic imaging of cartilage using T2 relaxation and in quantitative correlation among several microscopic imaging techniques.

[1]  R Burgkart,et al.  Long-term and resegmentation precision of quantitative cartilage MR imaging (qMRI). , 2002, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[2]  C. Rorabeck,et al.  Osteoarthritis in the human knee: a dynamic process of cartilage matrix degradation, synthesis and reorganization. , 1993, Agents and actions. Supplements.

[3]  H. Amenitsch,et al.  Collagen fibrils are differently organized in weight-bearing and not-weight-bearing regions of pig articular cartilage. , 2000, The Journal of experimental zoology.

[4]  S. Vasanawala,et al.  Controversies in protocol selection in the imaging of articular cartilage. , 2005, Seminars in musculoskeletal radiology.

[5]  G. Meachim.  Effect of age on the thickness of adult articular cartilage at he shoulder joint. , 1971, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[6]  Y. Xia,et al.  Magic-Angle Effect in Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Articular Cartilage: A Review , 2000, Investigative radiology.

[7]  K. Athanasiou,et al.  Variations in the mechanical properties of cartilage from the canine scapulohumeral joint. , 1997, American journal of veterinary research.

[8]  Nobuhiko Sugano,et al.  MR-based three-dimensional presentation of cartilage thickness in the femoral head , 2001, European Radiology.

[9]  S. Jimenez,et al.  Osteoarthritis cartilage histopathology: grading and staging. , 2006, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[10]  S. Trattnig,et al.  Anatomy, Biochemistry, and Physiology of Articular Cartilage , 2000, Investigative radiology.

[11]  Y. Xia,et al.  Characteristics of topographical heterogeneity of articular cartilage over the joint surface of a humeral head. , 2002, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[12]  Dwight G Nishimura,et al.  Comparison of new sequences for high‐resolution cartilage imaging , 2003, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[13]  D. Burstein,et al.  Is MRI fulfilling its promise for molecular imaging of cartilage in arthritis? , 2006, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[14]  Kincaid Sa,et al.  Regional histochemical and thickness variations of adult canine articular cartilage. , 1981 .

[15]  G. Lust,et al.  Origin of cartilage laminae in MRI , 1997, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.

[16]  Alfred Benninghoff,et al.  Form und Bau der Gelenkknorpel in ihren Beziehungen zur Funktion , 1925, Zeitschrift für Anatomie und Entwicklungsgeschichte.

[17]  Mirela Ionescu,et al.  The pathobiology of focal lesion development in aging human articular cartilage and molecular matrix changes characteristic of osteoarthritis. , 2003, Arthritis and rheumatism.

[18]  J R Matyas,et al.  Detecting structural changes in early experimental osteoarthritis of tibial cartilage by microscopic magnetic resonance imaging and polarised light microscopy , 2004, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[19]  I. Kiviranta,et al.  Topographical variation of glycosaminoglycan content and cartilage thickness in canine knee (stifle) joint cartilage. Application of the microspectrophotometric method. , 1987, Journal of anatomy.

[20]  V J Schmithorst,et al.  MR imaging and T2 mapping of femoral cartilage: in vivo determination of the magic angle effect. , 2001, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[21]  T Stammberger,et al.  Optimization and validation of a rapid high-resolution T1-w 3D FLASH water excitation MRI sequence for the quantitative assessment of articular cartilage volume and thickness. , 2001, Magnetic resonance imaging.

[22]  I. Redler,et al.  Morphological variations within a given area of articular surface of cartilage , 1974, Zeitschrift für Zellforschung und Mikroskopische Anatomie.

[23]  Y Xia.  The total volume and the complete thickness of articular cartilage determined by MRI. , 2003, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[24]  Y. Xia,et al.  Quantitative in situ correlation between microscopic MRI and polarized light microscopy studies of articular cartilage. , 2001, Osteoarthritis and cartilage.

[25]  Yang Xia,et al.  Imaging the physical and morphological properties of a multi‐zone young articular cartilage at microscopic resolution , 2003, Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.