Assessment of Low-Grade Meniscal and Cartilage Damage of the Knee at 7 T: A Comparison to 3 T Imaging With Arthroscopic Correlation.

Friebe, Björn; Richter, Martin; Penzlin, Susanne; Starke, Christian; Kropf, Siegfried; Lohmann, Christoph; Fischbach, Frank; Speck, Oliver

doi:10.1097/RLI.0000000000000456

by Björn Friebe, Martin Richter, Susanne Penzlin, Christian Starke, Siegfried Kropf, Christoph Lohmann, Frank Fischbach, Oliver Speck

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the assessment of low-grade meniscal tears and cartilage damage in ultrahigh-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 T to routine clinical MRI at 3 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Forty-one patients with suspected meniscal damage or mild osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence score, 0-2) received 7 T as well as routine clinical 3 T consecutively. The imaging protocol at both field strengths consisted of PD-weighted imaging with more than doubled resolution at 7 T. Images were read blinded regarding field strength and patient characteristics by 3 readers with different experience in musculoskeletal MRI (3 years, 6 years, and 10 years) according to a modified whole-organ MRI score of the knee in osteoarthritis and the Score of the International Cartilage Repair Society. Arthroscopic reports as a criterion standard were available for 12 patients. A multifactorial mixed model analysis was performed. RESULTS: The mean cumulated diagnostic score at 7 T was significantly closer to the criterion standard compared with 3 T in patients where criterion standard was available (P \textbackslashtextbackslashtextless 0.001). In all 41 patients, the damages were rated more severely at 7 T reflected by a mean higher cumulative score in cartilage (P \textbackslashtextbackslashtextless 0.001) and in the meniscus (P \textbackslashtextbackslashtextless 0.001). No difference in interreader variability between 3 T and 7 T was observed. Imaging acquisition time was nearly identical. CONCLUSIONS: Morphologic imaging of cartilage and meniscal damage of the knee in ultrahigh-field MRI at 7 T with PD-weighted TSE sequences seemed to have a significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than 3 T and can be performed with equal acquisition times while exploiting higher resolution of 7 T.

Reference:

Assessment of Low-Grade Meniscal and Cartilage Damage of the Knee at 7 T: A Comparison to 3 T Imaging With Arthroscopic Correlation. (Björn Friebe, Martin Richter, Susanne Penzlin, Christian Starke, Siegfried Kropf, Christoph Lohmann, Frank Fischbach, Oliver Speck), In Investigative radiology, volume 53, 2018.

Bibtex Entry:

@article{friebe_assessment_2018,
	title = {Assessment of {Low}-{Grade} {Meniscal} and {Cartilage} {Damage} of the {Knee} at 7 {T}: {A} {Comparison} to 3 {T} {Imaging} {With} {Arthroscopic} {Correlation}.},
	volume = {53},
	issn = {1536-0210 0020-9996},
	doi = {10.1097/RLI.0000000000000456},
	abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the assessment of low-grade meniscal tears and cartilage damage in ultrahigh-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 T to routine clinical MRI at 3 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by the local ethics committee, and written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Forty-one patients with suspected meniscal damage or mild osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence score, 0-2) received 7 T as well as routine clinical 3 T consecutively. The imaging protocol at both field strengths consisted of PD-weighted imaging with more than doubled resolution at 7 T. Images were read blinded regarding field strength and patient characteristics by 3 readers with different experience in musculoskeletal MRI (3 years, 6 years, and 10 years) according to a modified whole-organ MRI score of the knee in osteoarthritis and the Score of the International Cartilage Repair Society. Arthroscopic reports as a criterion standard were available for 12 patients. A multifactorial mixed model analysis was performed. RESULTS: The mean cumulated diagnostic score at 7 T was significantly closer to the criterion standard compared with 3 T in patients where criterion standard was available (P {\textbackslash}textbackslashtextless 0.001). In all 41 patients, the damages were rated more severely at 7 T reflected by a mean higher cumulative score in cartilage (P {\textbackslash}textbackslashtextless 0.001) and in the meniscus (P {\textbackslash}textbackslashtextless 0.001). No difference in interreader variability between 3 T and 7 T was observed. Imaging acquisition time was nearly identical. CONCLUSIONS: Morphologic imaging of cartilage and meniscal damage of the knee in ultrahigh-field MRI at 7 T with PD-weighted TSE sequences seemed to have a significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than 3 T and can be performed with equal acquisition times while exploiting higher resolution of 7 T.},
	language = {eng},
	number = {7},
	journal = {Investigative radiology},
	author = {Friebe, Björn and Richter, Martin and Penzlin, Susanne and Starke, Christian and Kropf, Siegfried and Lohmann, Christoph and Fischbach, Frank and Speck, Oliver},
	month = jul,
	year = {2018},
	pmid = {29521888},
	keywords = {Adult, Aged, Arthroscopy/*methods, Female, Humans, Knee Injuries/*diagnostic imaging, Knee Joint/diagnostic imaging, Knee/*diagnostic imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods, Male, Meniscus/*diagnostic imaging/*injuries, Middle Aged, Osteoarthritis, Young Adult},
	pages = {390--396}
}