Quantitative high-resolution 7T MRI to assess longitudinal changes in articular cartilage after anterior cruciate ligament injury in a rabbit model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To demonstrate an ultra-high field (UHF) 7 ​T delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) protocol for quantitative post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) detection and monitoring in a rabbit anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) model.

Design

ACL transections were performed unilaterally in 5 rabbits (33-weeks-old, 3.5 ​± ​0.5 ​kg) to induce PTOA. MRI exams were performed at 7 ​T prior to and 2, 4, 7 and 10-weeks after ACLT using a modified dGEMRIC protocol. Voxel-based T1 and T2 maps were created over manually drawn femoral cartilage ROIs from the center of the tibial plateau to the posterior meniscus. Femoral, tibial, and patellar epiphyses were harvested 10-weeks post-surgery and processed for μCT imaging and histology.

Results

Quantitati

SUBMITTER: Terracciano R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9718197 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature