Motivation: Quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) provides biomarkers to assess articular cartilage extracellular matrix. Currently, qMT techniques are limited to small cartilage region coverage. Goal(s): Characterize the knee cartilage extracellular matrix using novel qMT imaging technique BTS (Bloch-Siegert and magnetization Transfer Simultaneously). Approach: A new BTS protocol was implemented to image the knee and investigate remodeling of the BTS model to estimate full set of bias-free T1, f, kF and additional T2R for characterizing the whole knee cartilage extracellular matrix. Results: Spatial variation reflecting the regional dependence of qMT parameters and depth dependence between the deep and superficial layers of cartilage was observed. Impact: BTS showed spatial variation and regional features of qMT parameters in a healthy model, presenting great potential in providing 3D relaxometry and qMT imaging biomarkers to characterize whole knee cartilage extracellular matrix, which requires further investigation using groupwise analysis.
Jang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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