In an attempt to improve the detection of chondral abnormalities with magnetic resonance imaging, a fat-suppressed three-dimensional gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state (GRASS) and spoiled GRASS (SPGR) sequence was optimized by study of five cadaveric knee specimens. Results with this optimized sequence then were compared with results with three spin-echo (T1-, proton-density-, and T2-weighted) and two three-dimensional gradient-recalled echo sequences (GRASS and non-fat-suppressed SPGR) in the assessment of naturally occurring abnormalities of the patellofemoral compartment in 10 cadaveric knees. Results with the optimized fat-suppressed SPGR sequence were significantly better (P < .02) than results with the other five sequences and had a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 95%, and an accuracy of 95%. In addition, normal cartilage consistently appeared as a trilaminar structure with the fat-suppressed SPGR sequence, a feature that appeared to help in identification of chondral lesions.

Depiction of the structures in the posterolateral aspect of the knee was optimal on coronal oblique images. We advocate obtaining coronal oblique T2-weighted images in patients with either posterolateral knee pain or suspected injury to the posterolateral ligamentous structures.

MR arthrography enables visualization of the capsular ligaments of the hip.

MR imaging accurately depicts the compartmentlike distribution of signal intensity abnormalities in patients with ITBFS.

The UTE MR sequence offers structural information about and allows reproducible quantitative evaluation of tissues with short T2 components, such as tendons, that are inaccessible on conventional MRI. This technique showed T1 and T2(*) measurements in the normal Achilles tendon and allowed correlation with structural status by histology. Because of the small number of specimens, this is considered a feasibility study.