Spin-echo and 3D gradient-echo imaging of the knee joint: a clinical and histopathological comparison

3.0-T Evaluation of Knee Cartilage by Using Three-Dimensional IDEAL GRASS Imaging: Comparison with Fast Spin-Echo Imaging

“…IDEAL GRASS had similar sensitivity, specifi city, and accuracy as a routine MR protocol for helping detect all grades of cartilage lesions and for detecting all grades of cartilage Table 3 Results lesions on each articular surface of the knee joint. The sensitivity, specifi city, and accuracy values of IDEAL GRASS also were in the range of values reported in previous studies by using other cartilage imaging sequences (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)25,(33)(34)(35). IDEAL GRASS has potential advantages when compared with the twodimensional FSE sequences performed in the routine MR protocol.…”

“…Two previous studies ( 33,47 ) have also also has similar interobserver agreement for determining the presence of cartilage lesions and similar accuracy for grading articular surfaces. The results of our study indicate that IDEAL GRASS can be used at 3.0 T to provide rapid morphologic assessment of the articular cartilage of the knee joint in clinical patients.…”

“…However, the sensitivity of IDEAL GRASS for helping detect grade 2A cartilage lesions was higher than those reported in previous studies performed with other unspoiled gradientecho sequences. Sensitivity values for helping detect shallow partial-thickness cartilage lesions by using the unspoiled gradient-echo sequence fast imaging with steady-state precession ranged between 30% and 38% in previous studies with arthroscopic correlation (33)(34)(35). The higher sensitivity of IDEAL GRASS was most likely secondary to its higher in-plane spatial resolution and decreased section thickness.…”

“…Furthermore, unspoiled gradient-echo sequences produce images with higher signal intensity in normal menisci than FSE sequences, which may decrease image contrast ( 47 ). Finally, unspoiled gradient-echo sequences are more sensitive to meniscal degeneration than FSE sequences, which may make it more diffi cult to determine whether increased signal intensity within a meniscus communicates with the meniscal surface, thereby distinguishing intrasubstance degeneration from a tear ( 33 ).…”

Long-term outcome of meniscal degeneration in the kneePoor association between MRI and symptoms in 45 patients followed more than 4 years

“…Another cause of misinterpretation is the patientʼs age as the vascular bundles of menisci in children and adolescents in some cases resemble MRI-MD (Quinn et al 1988, Jerosch et al 1996 but in our study, we included only patients older than 18 years of age. We could not verify our findings arthroscopically or histologically, but there is substantial evidence of a close correlation between MRI-MD and the histological findings , Kaplan et al 1991, Raunest et al 1994, Gückel et al 1995, Nawata et al 1999.…”