Orientation-independent T2 relaxation parameters and biomechanics of healthy and degenerated human articular cartilage

Variation in T2 relaxation has been linked to changes in articular cartilage degenerative status. Most prominently to the collagen network integrity. However, T2 is greatly anisotropic in highly organized tissues, e.g. articular cartilage. Previous results show that using re-orientation experiments, orientation-independent T2 components can be defined. This study assesses the potential of these parameters to serve as biomarkers for osteoarthritis via comparing the orientation-independent T2 parameters to biomechanical testing results in human articular cartilage. Changes in the anisotropic component of T2 in the superficial and transitional zones are observed along with the biomechanical degeneration of the articular cartilage.