Bi-component T2 mapping correlates with articular cartilage material properties

Matthew M Grondin; Fang Liu; Michael F Vignos; Alexey Samsonov; Wan-Ju Li; Richard Kijowski; Corinne R Henak

doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2020.110215

Bi-component T2 mapping correlates with articular cartilage material properties

J Biomech. 2021 Feb 12:116:110215. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2020.110215. Epub 2020 Dec 31.

Authors

Matthew M Grondin¹, Fang Liu², Michael F Vignos¹, Alexey Samsonov³, Wan-Ju Li⁴, Richard Kijowski³, Corinne R Henak⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
² Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
³ Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
⁴ Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. Electronic address: chenak@wisc.edu.

Abstract

Non-invasive estimation of cartilage material properties is useful for understanding cartilage health and creating subject-specific computational models. Bi-component T2 mapping measured using Multi-Component Driven Equilibrium Single Shot Observation of T₁ and T₂ (mcDESPOT) is sensitive for detecting cartilage degeneration within the human knee joint, but has not been correlated with cartilage composition and mechanical properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between bi-component T₂ parameters measured using mcDESPOT at 3.0 T and cartilage composition and mechanical properties. Ex-vivo patellar cartilage specimens harvested from five human cadaveric knees were imaged using mcDESPOT at 3.0 T. Cartilage samples were removed from the patellae, mechanically tested to determine linear modulus and dissipated energy, and chemically tested to determine proteoglycan and collagen content. Parameter maps of single-component T₂ relaxation time (T₂), the T₂ relaxation times of the fast relaxing macromolecular bound water component (T_2F) and slow relaxing bulk water component (T_2S), and the fraction of the fast relaxing macromolecular bound water component (F_F) were compared to mechanical and chemical measures using linear regression. F_F was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with energy dissipation and linear modulus. T₂ was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) correlated with elastic modulus at 1 Hz and energy dissipated at all frequencies. There were no other significant (p = 0.13-0.97) correlations between mcDESPOT parameters and mechanical properties. F_F was significantly (p = 0.04) correlated with proteoglycan content. There were no other significant (p = 0.19-0.92) correlations between mcDESPOT parameters and proteoglycan or collagen content. This study suggests that F_F measured using mcDESPOT at 3.0 T could be used to non-invasively estimate cartilage proteoglycan content, elastic modulus, and energy dissipation.

Keywords: Cartilage; Dissipation; Magnetic resonance imaging; Material properties; T2 mapping.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Cartilage, Articular*
Humans
Knee
Knee Joint
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Patella

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding