Evaluation of water content by spatially resolved transverse relaxation times of human articular cartilage

Non-invasive assessment of cartilage properties, specifically water content, could prove helpful in the diagnosis of early degenerative joint diseases. Transverse relaxation times T(2) of human articular cartilage (34 cartilage slices of three donors) were measured on a pixel-by-pixel basis in a clinical whole body MR system in vitro. In vivo feasibility to measure quantitative T(2) maps was shown for human patellar cartilage. The relaxation times of cartilage with collagen in the radial zone oriented perpendicular to the magnetic field increased from approximately 10 ms near the bone to approximately 60 ms near the articular surface. Cartilage water content of the tibial plateau and femoral condyles could be determined from the correlation with T(2) (R(2) = 0.71) with an error of approximately 2 wt.%. In vivo, directional variation would need to be considered. If confirmed in vivo, T(2) measurements could potentially serve as a non-invasive tool for the evaluation of the status and distribution of water content in articular cartilage.