Comparison of T1ρ, dGEMRIC, and Quantitative T2 MRI in Preoperative ACL Rupture Patients

No appreciable focal GAG loss was detected by dGEMRIC, and T2 was generally elevated in the early acute phase of blunt trauma injury. In contrast, both general and focal elevations in T1ρ relaxation times were identified, indicating an acute increase in unbound water in the matrix after blunt trauma, and show that patient-specific cartilage changes occur within otherwise healthy, young patients. Further investigation into each sequence's long-term significance is warranted to help clinicians decide which sequence(s) will be the most useful for osteoarthritis prognosis given the challenge of concomitantly acquiring all three in a busy clinical setting.