Dr. Eckstein has received consulting fees or honoraria (more than $10,000 each) from Virtual Scopics and Pfizer. Dr. Charles has received consulting fees or honoraria (less than $10,000 each) from GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Novartis, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, and the NIH.
Accuracy and precision of quantitative assessment of cartilage morphology by magnetic resonance imaging at 3.0T
Version of Record online: 30 SEP 2005
Copyright © 2005 by the American College of Rheumatology
Arthritis & Rheumatism
Volume 52, Issue 10, pages 3132–3136, October 2005
How to Cite
Eckstein, F., Charles, H. C., Buck, R. J., Kraus, V. B., Remmers, A. E., Hudelmaier, M., Wirth, W. and Evelhoch, J. L. (2005), Accuracy and precision of quantitative assessment of cartilage morphology by magnetic resonance imaging at 3.0T. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 52: 3132–3136. doi: 10.1002/art.21348
- Issue online: 30 SEP 2005
- Version of Record online: 30 SEP 2005
- Manuscript Accepted: 30 JUN 2005
- Manuscript Received: 2 FEB 2005
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of articular cartilage represents a powerful tool in osteoarthritis (OA) research, but has so far been confined to a field strength of 1.5T. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision of quantitative MRI assessments of human cartilage morphology at 3.0T and to correlate the measurements at 3.0T with validated measurements at 1.5T.
MR images of the knee of 15 participants with OA and 15 healthy control subjects were acquired using Siemens 1.5T and 3.0T scanners. Double oblique coronal scans were obtained at 1.5T with a 1.5-mm partition thickness, at 3.0T with a 1.5-mm partition thickness, and at 3.0T with a 1.0-mm partition thickness. Cartilage volume, thickness, and surface area of the femorotibial cartilage plates were quantified using proprietary software.
For 1.5-mm partition thickness at 1.5T, the precision error was 3.0% and 2.6% for cartilage volume and cartilage thickness, respectively. The error was smaller for a 1.5-mm partition thickness at 3.0T (2.6% and 2.5%) and still smaller for a 1.0-mm partition thickness at 3.0T (2.1% and 2.0%). Correlation coefficients between values obtained at 3.0T and 1.5T were high (r ≥ 0.96), with no significant deviation between the two field strengths.
Quantitative MRI measurement of cartilage morphology at 3.0T (partition thickness 1 mm) was found to be accurate and tended to be more reproducible than at 1.5T (partition thickness 1.5 mm). Imaging at 3.0T may therefore provide superior ability to detect changes in cartilage status over time and to determine responses to treatment with structure-modifying drugs.