Rapid Dual-component UTE (RaD-UTE) imaging of bound and pore water in cortical bone

Motivation: Cortical bone has two distinct water components: pore water and bound water. Pore water reflects cortical porosity, while bound water is related to organic matrix density. Goal(s): To develop fast MRI technique to map bound and pore water in cortical bone. Approach: The rapid dual-component ultrashort echo time (RaD-UTE) technique employs 3D UTE multi-echo acquisitions for fast volumetric mapping of bound and pore water, including their T1 and T2*s relaxation times as well as T1-corrected bound and pore water fractions. Results: RaD-UTE allows fast volumetric mapping of bound and pore water T2*, T1, and T1-compensated fractions. Impact: The RaD-UTE technique allows fast volumetric mapping of bound and pore water T1, T2*s, and fractions, and has great potential for accurate mapping of cortical porosity and organic matrix density under clinical acceptable scan time.