Translational 3T MRI and micro-CT imaging of murine cartilage repair

Motivation: This is a clinically inspired project related to Osteoarthritis which focuses on translational research to specifically enhance murine preclinical models with micro-CT and MRI. Goal(s): To optimize MRI methods for monitoring of longitudinal repair of a mouse model of osteochondral injury, to validate joint tissue response and assess intervention impact to the injury site. Approach: The study design features the micro-CT and MRI imaging of the knee joint in a murine osteochondral injury model. Results: The optimized MRI protocol was able to demonstrate differences between groups after longitudinal assessment. This technique is an important translational step allowing the measurement of clinically relevant differences. Impact: The developed multimodal imaging methodology to monitor tissue repair of mouse knee will extensively enhance the development of novel therapies for cartilage and bone repair, and their translatability into the clinic, whilst reducing the number of animals for preclinical research.