MR imaging of the knee with a 0.064-T permanent magnet.

Detection of articular cartilage lesions: Experimental evaluation of low- and high-field-strength MR imaging at 0.18 and 1.0 T

“…These studies showed comparable results for 0.2–0.5 T and 1.5 T magnets in the detection of meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tears. Other investigators, who compared the diagnostic accuracies of low‐field or ultra‐low‐field MRI (0.04–0.2 T) and diagnostic arthroscopy, reported detection rates similar to those from large studies on high‐field MRI diagnosis of meniscal and ligamentous knee joint injuries (11, 21–23). The rare clinical studies on low‐field MRI of articular cartilage suggest substantial limitations of this technique (5, 11).…”

MR Assessment of Movement and Morphologic Change in the Menisci during Knee Flexion

“…Because meniscal movement depends largely on the movement of the femoral condyles, this positioning of the knee is thought to restrict movement of the lateral meniscus. The recently introduced low-field open-type MR unit has made it possible to perform more fully functional investigations of the joints (1 , 17,20). From a biomechanical point of view, the examination in the upright position might be preferable to that in the supine or lateral position.…”

MR Imaging of Patellar Cartilage Degeneration at 0.02 T

“…Routine MR imaging is performed over a 100-fold range of field strengths, from 0.02 T to 2 T. The limitations on the widespread use of MR imaging have been the cost of the examination and its availability (20). Therefore introduction of low-cost units may influence the way MR imaging is used, especially in areas in which alternative modalities could be used.…”