The biochemical content of articular cartilage: an original MRI approach.

摘要: The MR aspect of articular cartilage, that reflects the interactions between protons and macromolecular constituents, is affected by intrinsic tissue structure (water content, content matrix collagen network organization), imager characteristics, acquisition parameters. On T1-weighted sequences, bovine cartilage appears as an homogeneous in high signal intensity, whatever age animals considered, whereas on T2-weighted presents variations its imaging pattern (laminar appearance) well correlated to histological biochemical structure. T2 relaxation time measurement (T2 mapping), which quantitatively intensity observed weighted a way evaluate more precisely modifications during aging maturation processes (rat's study). This technique so far confined experimental micro-imagers now developed clinical imagers. Consequently, it may permit depict early stages osteoarthritic disease (OA) or chondroprotective effect drugs.