Articular Cartilage 3D T2* Mapping at 7 Tesla in Patients with Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Tears

Motivation: Meniscal root tears are increasingly recognised as the ‘root cause’ of osteoarthritis with articular cartilage loss as the hallmark of the disease. Goal(s): Utilising SNR gains at 7T UHF MRI to detect early changes in cartilage composition. Approach: Compare high resolution quantitative cartilage 3D T2* relaxation times at 7T in patients with arthroscopically confirmed medial meniscal posterior root tears (MMPRT’s) to matched controls. Results: Prolonged T2* relaxation times were found in the weight bearing medial and lateral cartilage of the femur in patients with meniscal tears, when compared with controls. No changes were seen in the tibial cartilage. Impact: Identifying early cartilage degeneration using high resolution T2* at 7 Tesla could inform timely treatments, such as prompt meniscal repair, potentially preventing the onset of osteoarthritis.