Satoru Tamura1,
Takashi Nishii1, Hidetoshi Hamada1, Ken Nakata1,
Tatsuo Mae1, Hisashi Tanaka1, Hideki Yoshikawa1
1Osaka
University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan
T2 value is closely related to cartilage collagen matrix and water content, with significant correlation between higher T2 values and cartilage degenerative changes. 3D images are assumed to be more useful to evaluate the whole femoral cartilage than 2D images, regarding location and extent of cartilage disorder. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cartilage damage on 3D T2 map of the knee joint can be detected reliably by comparing with arthroscopic findings. The sensitivity and the specificity were 70% and 88%, respectively. 3D reconstructed T2 mapping images were useful to detect the cartilage damage.