Quantitative Ultrashort Echo Time MR Imaging of Osteochondral Junction in Knee Osteoarthritis

Motivation: Knee osteoarthritis begins with changes in the osteochondral junction, yet no standardized method effectively assesses these early degenerative changes. Goal(s): We evaluated whether 3D UTE MRI-based MTR, T1, and T1ρ mapping can assess cartilage degeneration at the osteochondral junction in knee osteoarthritis patients. Approach: Knee joints of 49 osteoarthritis patients were scanned using 3D UTE MRI with MTR, T1, and T1ρ mapping on a 3T MRI scanner, focusing on the femoral cartilage osteochondral junction to correlate measurements with degeneration grades. Results: UTE-MTR mapping showed moderate correlation with degeneration grades, while UTE-T1 and UTE-T1ρ mapping showed no significant correlation. Impact: UTE-MTR mapping of the osteochondral junction offers a quantitative tool to assess cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis patients. This technique could improve early diagnosis and provide insights into cartilage health, potentially aiding in better management and monitoring of osteoarthritis progression.