Quantitative Assessment of Patellar Tendon Recovery and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Quality using Bi-exponential UTE-T1ρ Mapping

Motivation: Many joint tissue components (e.g., ligaments and tendons), have relatively short T2* relaxation and are difficult to image with conventional sequences. UTE-T1ρ sequences can boost the SNR in the knee and increase precision for a wide range of tissues. Goal(s): Evaluate the feasibility of a UTE-T1ρ sequence for patellar tendon (PT) recovery and ligament graft quality in ACLR patients. Approach: UTE and non-UTE sequences were used to measure T1ρ in the knee joint. Non-parametric U-tests were used to assess significance. Results: Significant differences were found between the sequences in the PT donor site and ACL in healthy and reconstructed patients. Impact: The sequence demonstrates potential as a tool for assessing maturity of ACL grafts. It can help understand the recovery of PT, the quality of ACL reconstruction, and risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. This knowledge could improve surgical techniques and rehabilitation protocols.