3D T2* Mapping of Articular Cartilage at 7 Tesla in Patients Before and After Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Tear Repair

Motivation: Medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) cause the meniscus to extrude, which increases contact stresses on the cartilage and accelerates the risk of knee osteoarthritis. Goal(s): Evaluate degenerative changes in the medial femoral cartilage of patients with MMPRT. Approach: Conduct 3D T2* mapping of cartilage at 7T in patients before and after MMPRT repair and in matched healthy controls. Results: Compared to the controls, pre-repair patients showed significantly increased T2* values in the posterior, posterior weight-bearing, and central weight-bearing regions of the medial femoral cartilage; while post-repair patients, had significantly elevated T2* values only in the posterior weight-bearing region. Impact: Post-operative monitoring of articular cartilage with 3D T2* mapping at 7T, which benefits from an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, provides valuable insights into healing progression, guides timely treatments and potentially helps prevent osteoarthritis.