Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2017; 30(06): 391-397
DOI: 10.3415/VCOT-17-01-0014
Original Research
Schattauer GmbH

Assessment of T2 Relaxation Times for Normal Canine Knee Articular Cartilage by T2 Mapping Using 1.5-T Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Asami Matsui
1   Department of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
,
Miki Shimizu
1   Department of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
,
Brian Beale
2   Department of Surgery and Orthopedics, Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists, Houston, Texas, United States
,
Fumitaka Takahashi
3   Tokyo Animal Orthopedic Surgery Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
,
Sinya Yamaguchi
3   Tokyo Animal Orthopedic Surgery Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 24 January 2017

accepted after revision 23 July 2017

Publication Date:
04 December 2017 (online)

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Abstract

Objectives This study aims to assess and compare the T2 relaxation times for articular cartilage of normal canine stifle joints in four regions by T2 mapping using a 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods In vivo prospective study: 20 hindlimbs (left and right) from 10 normal healthy beagle dogs (n = 20). The region of interest (ROI) was subdivided into medial and lateral condyles of femoral cartilage (MF and LF, respectively) and medial and lateral condyles of tibial cartilage (MT and LT, respectively). The T2 relaxation times were assessed in regions where the cartilage thickness was greater than 0.5 mm.

Results The median maximum cartilage thickness (mm) of the four ROI were 0.7 (range: 0.9–0.6), 0.6 (range: 0.7–0.5), 0.7 (range: 0.9–0.5) and 0.6 (range: 0.8–0.5) at MF, LF, MT and LT, respectively. The errors in the measurement (%) of the four ROI were 64.3 (range: 50.0–75.0), 75.0 (range: 64.3–90.0), 64.3 (range: 20.0–90.0) and 75.0 (range: 56.3–90.0) at MF, LF, MT and LT, respectively. The median T2 relaxation times (ms) for the articular cartilage of the four ROI were 70.2 (range: 57.9–87.9), 57.5 (range: 46.8–66.9), 65.0 (range: 52.0–92.0) and 57.0 (range: 49.0–66.2) at MF, LF, MT and LT, respectively. The inter-observer correlation coefficient (ICC, 2.1) for the T2 relaxation times of MF was 0.644.

Clinical Significance This study offers useful information on T2 relaxation times for articular cartilage of the stifle joint using a 1.5-T MRI in normal dogs.