Velocity‐compensated intravoxel incoherent motion of the human calf muscle

Purpose To determine whether intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) describes the blood perfusion in muscles better, assuming pseudo diffusion (Bihan Model 1) or ballistic motion (Bihan Model 2). Methods IVIM parameters were measured in 18 healthy subjects with three different diffusion gradient time profiles (bipolar with two diffusion times and one with velocity compensation) and 17 b ‐values (0–600 s/mm 2 ) at rest and after muscle activation. The diffusion coefficient, perfusion fraction, and pseudo‐diffusion coefficient were estimated with a segmented fit in the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. Results Velocity‐compensated gradients resulted in a decreased perfusion fraction (6.9% ± 1.4% vs. 4.4% ± 1.3% in the GM after activation) and pseudo‐diffusion coefficient (0.069 ± 0.046 mm 2 /s vs. 0.014 ± 0.006 in the GM after activation) compared to the bipolar gradients with the longer diffusion encoding time. Increased diffusion coefficients, perfusion fractions, and pseudo‐diffusion coefficients were observed in the GM after activation for all gradient profiles. However, the increase was significantly smaller for the velocity‐compensated gradients. A diffusion time dependence was found for the pseudo‐diffusion coefficient in the activated muscle. Conclusion Velocity‐compensated diffusion gradients significantly suppress the IVIM effect in the calf muscle, indicating that the ballistic limit is mostly reached, which is supported by the time dependence of the pseudo‐diffusion coefficient.