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Visualization of pressure distribution within loaded joint cartilage by application of angle‐sensitive NMR microscopy
Author(s) -
Gründer Wilfried,
Kanowski Martin,
Wagner Manuela,
Werner Annett
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
magnetic resonance in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.696
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1522-2594
pISSN - 0740-3194
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2594(200006)43:6<884::aid-mrm15>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - anisotropy , microscopy , polarization (electrochemistry) , dipole , nuclear magnetic resonance , cartilage , magnetic resonance imaging , articular cartilage , materials science , biomedical engineering , polarization microscopy , chemistry , optics , anatomy , physics , pathology , osteoarthritis , medicine , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , radiology
High‐resolution MRI measurements on knee joints show a multilaminar appearance of the cartilage. This intracartilaginar structure, visualized as hypointense zones in T 2 ‐weighted MR images is based on the dipolar interaction of water molecules within regions of anisotropic arrangement of collagen network. Using the different angle dependence of the MR signal, zones of radially and tangentially oriented network structures can be distinguished. Information equivalent to that from polarization light microscopy can be derived noninvasively. This is demonstrated by polarization light microscopic reference investigations. It is shown that this multilaminar MRI appearance is sensitively influenced by mechanical stress. A model explaining the contrary behavior of loaded tangential and radial network structures is given. Based on this pressure dependence, a noninvasive determination of mechanical properties is possible. Using the variation of size and intensity of the hypointense zones under pressure, dynamic high resolution MRI yields noninvasive information about the intracartilaginar pressure distribution similar to photoelastic measurements. Magn Reson Med 43:884–891, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.