Quantitative measurement of T2, T1ρ and T1 relaxation times in articular cartilage and cartilage-bone interface by SE and UTE imaging at microscopic resolution

Both spin-echo (SE) and ultra-short echo (UTE) based MRI sequences were used on a 7 T µMRI system to quantify T2, T1ρ and T1 relaxation times from articular cartilage to the cartilage-bone interface on canine humeral specimens at 19.5 µm pixel resolution. A series of five relaxation-weighted images were acquired to calculate one relaxation map (T2, T1ρ or T1), from which the depth-dependent profiles were examined between the SE method and the UTE method, over the entire non-calcified cartilage and within the cartilage-bone interface. SE-based methods enabled the quantification of relaxation profiles over the noncalcified cartilage, from 0 µm (articular surface) to approximately 460 µm in depth (near the end of radial zone). Most of the cartilage-bone interface was imaged by the UTE-based methods, to a tissue depth of about 810 µm. Pixel-by-pixel calculation of the relaxation times between the independent SE and UTE methods correlated well with each other. A better understanding of the tissue properties reliably over the cartilage-bone interface region by a non-invasive MRI approach could contribute to the clinical diagnostics of trauma-induced osteoarthritis.