| 08:15 | 0483.
 | Advances in Musculoskeletal Imaging: The Potential of Wireless Metasurface Coils. Daniel Markus Düx1,2, Robert Kowal2, Simon Schröer1, Holger Maune3, Oliver Speck2,4, Frank Wacker1,2, Marcel Gutberlet1,2, and Bennet Hensen1,2
1Institute of Diagnostics and Interventional Radiology, Hannover, Germany, 2Research Campus STIMULATE, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany, 3Chair of Microwave and Communication Engineering, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany, 4Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany Keywords: Other Musculoskeletal, MSK Motivation: Musculoskeletal imaging (MSK) traditionally employs specific coil designs for distinct anatomical areas. Metasurface coils (MC) are innovative, light-weighted, and wireless coils promising for MSK imaging. Goal(s): Primary objective of the MC was similar image quality but better patient comfort compared to standard coils. Approach: Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in elbow, knee, foot and hand imaging of conventional coils were compared with the MC. Results: The MC showed improvement in SNR values for hand and foot. Imaging of knee and elbow was improved as well, but with less SNR near the spine coil. The MC's design streamlined positioning, maneuverability and can improve patient comfort. Impact: Metasurface coils promise transformative benefits for future musculoskeletal imaging, matching the image quality of standard coils with increased flexibility and patient comfort. Their versatility allows compatibility across MRI vendors, only depending on the field strength of the designated coil. |
| 08:15 | 0484.
 | Improving Accuracy and Repeatability of Cartilage T2 Mapping in the OAI Dataset through Extended Phase Graph Modeling Marco Barbieri1, Anthony A Gatti1, and Feliks Kogan1
1Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States Keywords: Osteoarthritis, Osteoarthritis, Cartilage, MSK, Quantitative Imaging, Data Processing Motivation: Current methods for T2 fitting in the OAI dataset are based on exponential models, which are inherently sub-optimal as they do not account for stimulated echoes and B1 inhomogeneities. Goal(s): To study whether EPG-Model fitting methods improve accuracy and repeatability of T2 mapping in the OAI dataset compared to conventional methods. Approach: We set up three EPG modelling approaches: nonlinear-least-square, dictionary matching, and deep learning. We used simulations and data from the OAI dataset to evaluate accuracy, repeatability. Results: We found that EPG-based methods had higher accuracy and repeatability than exponential-based methods commonly used to compute T2 maps in the OAI dataset. Impact: We have demonstrated that EPG-based methods improved
accuracy and repeatability of T2 mapping in the OAI dataset over the commonly
used mono-exponential fitting methods. This permits more robust analysis of T2 information in the OAI dataset,
especially in longitudinal analyses. |
| 08:15 | 0485.
 | Fast spin-echo triple-echo dixon (fTED) for fat suppression at 0.5T in the presence on knee implant. Sajith Rajamani1, Harsh Kumar Agarwal1, Arjun Narula2, Uday Patil3, and Ramesh Venkatesan1
1GE HealthCare, Bangalore, India, 2Narula Diagnostics, Rohtak, India, 3Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, India Keywords: Whole Joint, Low-Field MRI Motivation: Fat saturation in musculoskeletal MRI at 0.5T in the presence of knee implants. Goal(s): Echo spacing requirement of Fast spin-echo triple-echo Dixon (fTED) renders it as a preferred option for fat suppression even in the presence of implants without significant scan time penalty. Approach: Commercially available fTED MRI was used to acquire 3 echoes (intra echo spacing of 6.71msec) between two consecutive refocusing pulses of FSE data acquisition at 0.5T research MRI system. Results: Good quality fat suppression was observed in PD fat saturation knee MRI over 3 patients with knee implants.
Impact: Low and mid field MRI can benefit from fTED algorithm for fat
suppression where water and fat are resonating in close proximity (in Hz) of
each other without significant scan time penalty. |
| 08:15 | 0486.
 | Ultrashort echo time quantitative magnetization transfer (UTE-qMT) MRI distinguishes human diabetic bones from healthy ones Soo Hyun Shin1, Dina Moazamian1, Arya Suprana1,2, Eddie Fu1,3, Saeed Jerban1, Hyungseok Jang1, Charles Ginsberg4, Susan V Bukata5, Yajun Ma1, Eric Y. Chang1,3, and Jiang Du1,2,3
1Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States, 2Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States, 3Radiology Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, United States, 4Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States, 5Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States Keywords: Bone, Diabetes, Bone Motivation: There is no standardized method to probe bone quality, a key determinant of bone fracture risk of type 2 diabetes patients. Goal(s): We tested whether UTE quantitative MT (UTE-qMT) imaging and UTE-based water pool measurement can distinguish diabetic bones from healthy ones. Approach: Twenty-two ex vivo human diabetic bones and 13 healthy ones were scanned with UTE-MT, proton density UTE, and inversion recovery UTE sequences to measure qMT parameters and fractions of pore and bound water pools. Results: The proton exchange rates from UTE-qMT showed a significant decrease in diabetic bones. Impact: The proton exchange rate
measured via UTE-qMT can distinguish diabetic bones from healthy ones. UTE-qMT
may provide insight into molecular-scale bone quality that explains the
increased fracture risk in type 2 diabetes patients despite the increased bone
mineral density. |
| 08:15 | 0487.
 | Hepatitis C virus infection is associated with elevated bone marrow adiposity in the proximal femur: A preliminary study Brandon Clinton Jones1, Makayla Clark1, Brian-Tinh Duc Vu1, Nada Kamona1, Sisi Tang1, Rasleen Kaur Grewal1, Christiana Louise Cottrell1, Vincent Lo Re1, and Chamith Sudesh Rajapakse1
1Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philaelphia, PA, United States Keywords: Bone, Infectious disease, Hepatitis C Motivation: Hepatitis C (HCV) has been linked to osteoporosis and elevated risk of fracture in retrospective studies. Goal(s): To perform the first investigation of bone marrow adiposity in a cohort of patients with chronic HCV infection. Approach: A total of 33 patients with HCV and 42 age-, sex-, and race-matched HCV-uninfected controls were recruited for MRI. Proximal femur bone marrow adiposity was assessed via chemical-shift-encoded MRI from multi-echo gradient-echo sequences. Results: The HCV group had elevated marrow adiposity in the proximal femur (80.4 ± 6.6% vs 74.9 ± 9.1%, P=0.0045) compared to controls, suggesting impairment of the trabecular network. Impact: HCV
was associated with elevated bone marrow adiposity compared to uninfected
controls. MRI quantification of hip fat fraction enables investigation into the
pathogenesis of increased fracture risk for patients with Hepatitis C
infection. |
| 08:15 | 0488.
 | Robust single-point UTE Dixon imaging. Mateo Rodrigo Argudo Arrieta1, Kilian Weiss2, Christof Boehm1, Georg C. Feuerriegel1, Alexandra S. Gersing1, Dimitrios C. Karampinos1, and Anh T. Van1
1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, 2Philips GmbH Market DACH, Munich, Germany Keywords: Bone, Bone, Fat & Fat/Water Separation Motivation: A recent approach solved the unwanted phase estimation in single point Dixon imaging using an iterative optimization method. Goal(s): The goal of this work is to properly initialize the previously proposed iterative optimization approach for a more robust water-fat separation. Approach: The iterative optimization method is initialized with the result of the polynomial fit of the signal phase and its derived water and fat signals. Results: By initializing the Gauss Newton method with the result of a polynomial fit of the signal phase, better and more robust water fat separation can be achieved in sUTE Dixon imaging. Impact: The proposed polynomial fit initialization has improved water-fat separation quality and its robustness against regularization parameters while reducing the number of optimization iterations. |
| 08:15 | 0489.
 | Feasibility of Bone Porosity Assessment Using Dual-Echo uTE-MR Fingerprinting Marco Barbieri1, Congyu Liao1,2, Xiaozhi Cao1,2, Yang Yang3, Kawin Setsompop1,2, and Feliks Kogan1
1Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States, 2Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States, 3Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States Keywords: Bone, Bone, MSK, Quantitative Imaging, MR Fingerprinting, Data Processing Motivation: Bone porosity is crucial for bone strength, yet standard multi-echo uTE-GRE techniques are too time-consuming for clinical use. uTE MR Fingerprinting (MRF) has not been tested for porosity assessment. If feasible it may offer faster porosity mapping for clinical applications. Goal(s): Assessing the feasibility of using dual-echo 3D-uTE-MRF to measure porosity through simulations and preliminary in vivo testing. Approach: A dual-echo 3D-uTE-MRF sequence was tested for porosity accuracy and precision against standard multi-echo uTE-GRE via simulations. In-vivo, a volunteer's tibia was imaged to demonstrate the technique's preliminary viability. Results: In simulations, dual-echo uTE-MRF outperformed uTE-GRE, but in-vivo applications, despite feasibility, need further development. Impact: We demonstrated the feasibility of a dual-echo
uTE MRF approach for measuring bone porosity trough simulation and a
preliminary in-vivo acquisition. |
| 08:15 | 0490.
 | Denoising of 3D Fast Spin Echo Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Multi-channel Three-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network Shutian ZHAO1,2,3,4, Fan XIAO3,4, James F. Griffith3,4, and Weitian CHEN3,4
1Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, 2College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, 3Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, 4CUHK Lab of AI in Radiology (CLAIR), Hong Kong SAR, China Keywords: Skeletal, MSK Motivation: Three-dimensional (3D) Fast Spin Echo (FSE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be acquired with high spatial resolution but at a cost of reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Deep-learning methods are promising for denoising in MRI. Goal(s): The existing 3D denoising convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be further improved with the sturcture to extract high dimensional features. Approach: We developed a deep-learning approach based on multi-channel 3D CNN to utilize inherent noise information embedded in multiple number-of-excitation (NEX) acquisition. Results: The proposed method achieves improved denoising performance compared to the current state-of-the-art denoising methods in both slice-by-slice 2D and 3D metrics of PSNR and SSIM. Impact: The proposed network can realize a denoised effect with details well preserved for clinically achievable 2-NEX MR images. This shows great potential for 3D MRI, fast imaging, and low-feild MRI that demanding for noise suppression. |
| 08:15 | 0491.
 | 3D Turbo-Spin-Echo with VERSE Excitation Improves SNR for Brachial Plexus Magnetic Resonance Neurography Xiaoying Cai1, Guido Buonincontri2, Nicolas Groß-Weege2, Peter Kollasch3, Michelle Akerman4, Alto Stemmer2, Ek Tsoon Tan4, and Darryl B. Sneag4
1Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., New York, NY, United States, 2Siemens Healthineers AG, Erlangen, Germany, 3Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Rochester, MN, United States, 4Department of Radiology and Imaging, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, United States Keywords: Neurography, MSK, pulse sequence design, neurography, peripheral nerves Motivation: The conventional slab-selective 3D TSE approach for brachial plexus magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) has a longer echo spacing for the first refocusing pulse and hence violates CPMG conditions. The signal available can decrease significantly due to field inhomogeneities. Goal(s): We aimed to improve slab-selective 3D TSE for brachial plexus MRN. Approach: We incorporated the variable-rate selective excitation (VERSE) method to shorten the excitation pulse duration and eliminate the need for the first long-echo-spacing refocusing module. Results: The 3D TSE with VERSE excitation achieved higher SNR in both phantom and in-vivo experiments. Impact: The proposed 3D TSE using
VERSE excitation improved slab-selective imaging in brachial plexus MRN with
higher SNR when compared to the conventional approach. |
| 08:15 | 0492.
 | Direct MRI of Collagen Jason Daniel van Schoor1, Markus Weiger1, Emily Louise Baadsvik1, and Klaas Paul Pruessmann1
1Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Keywords: Bone, MSK, Collagen Motivation: Diseases in the musculoskeletal system are often characterized by a change in collagen structure and content. Such diseases are common and methods to evaluate collagen are integral in diagnosis and monitoring. Currently, indirect techniques are used for MRI of collagen due to its extremely short T2. Goal(s): To directly image collagen. Approach: Bone and tendon specimens, as well as an in-vivo hand, are imaged using advanced short-T2 techniques. The rapidly decaying signal is captured at different echo times, and image subtraction is used to isolate the signal of interest. Results: Direct collagen MRI was successfully performed with decent SNR and resolution. Impact: Direct MRI of collagen is reported with the
potential for improved evaluation of the collagen structure and content with
possible applications in diagnosis and monitoring of collagen-related diseases. |
| 08:15 | 0493.
 | Accelerated high-resolution deep learning reconstructed turbo spin echo MRI of the knee at ultra-high field strength Adrian Alexander Marth1,2, Georg Feuerriegel3, Sophia Samira Goller3, Stefan Sommer1,4, Reto Sutter3, Daniel Nanz1, and Constantin von Deuster1,4
1Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging, Balgrist Campus AG, Zurich, Switzerland, 2Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland, 3Department of Radiology, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland, 4Advanced Clinical Imaging Technology, Siemens Healthineers International AG, Zurich, Switzerland Keywords: Whole Joint, Joints Motivation: High-resolution 7T-MRI using Turbo-Spin-Echoes requires high acceleration factors for reasonable scan times. Deep-Learning (DL) algorithms enable increased data under-sampling compared to state-of-the-art reconstructions. Goal(s): To explore the feasibility of undersampled data acquisition in combination with DL-reconstruction for high-resolution T1- and PD-weighted knee MRI. Approach: Volunteers underwent twofold, threefold and fourfold-accelerated 7T knee MRI with and without DL image reconstruction. Three readers rated various aspects of image quality. Results: Image quality was rated significantly superior for fourfold-accelerated DL reconstructed images compared to images without DL reconstruction, while compared to twofold and threefold accelerated images, no image quality difference was observed. Impact: This study successfully employed
DL reconstructions at ultra-high field strength with promising results
regarding image quality compared to conventional image reconstruction. Therefore, DL reconstructions
at fourfold acceleration allows an efficient reduction in acquisition time,
while still delivering high-quality images. |
| 08:15 | 0494.
 | Macromolecule Exchange and Non-Exchange Protons Multiparametric Imaging of Knee: using ZAP/CEST and T2* Mapping with δTE Ultra-Short TE. Vadim Malis1, Diana Vucevic 1, Won C Bae1,2, Yoshimori Kassai3, and Mitsue Miyazaki1
1Radiology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States, 2VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States, 3Canon Medical, Ōtawara-shi, Japan Keywords: Whole Joint, Joints, UTE, ZAP, CEST Motivation: The study addresses the need for knee injury diagnosis by advancing MRI techniques to capture both structural and biochemical tissue characteristics. Goal(s): The goal is to develop advanced MRI biomarkers by integrating Z-spectrum/CEST with UTE techniques, improving visualization of knee structures for detection of injuries and pathologies Approach: We used novel Z-spectrum/CEST and UTE sequences to characterize proton exchange and obtain detailed T2* mapping, aiming to reveal precise biochemical and ultrastructural knee tissue details. Results: Findings demonstrate improved T2* mapping and proton characterization in knee tissues, suggesting potential biomarkers for early pathology identification, although further validation is necessary for clinical application. Impact: Multiparametric imaging of macromolecular exchange and non-exchange protons using ZAP/CEST MRI and UTE imaging with tight intervals δTE offers detailed knee tissue visualization, with potential for developing precise diagnostic biomarkers. |
| 08:15 | 0495.
 | Collagen Fibre Direction Estimation Using a Prototype Rotatable Low Field Scanner Harry Lanz1, Karyn Elizabeth Chappell2, John McGinley1, Chinmay Gupte3, Dimitri Amiras3, and Mihailo Ristic1
1Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom, 2Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom, 3Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom Keywords: Tendon/Ligament, Joints, Magic angle, collagen, PCL, ACL, soft registration Motivation: Certain types of tendon and ligament pathologies are hard to diagnose using conventional MRI. This can lead to invasive procedures or under-informed decisions regarding treatment. Goal(s): The goal of this research is to develop a novel scanner and image analysis techniques in order to assess tendon/ligament structure and health non-invasively. Approach: Tendons/ligaments contain collagen fibres that produce different signal intensities at different B0 orientations, this is the "magic angle effect". We have developed a rotatable scanner to reorient B0 to exploit this effect. Results: This study shows successful tendon structure estimation of a bovine PCL using our scanner and image processing techniques. Impact: The results of this study provide a foundation to begin testing our methodology in-vivo. Our successful fibre estimation in a bovine PCL has shown our scanner captures the magic angle effect and our processing techniques can estimate collagen fibre directions. |
| 08:15 | 0496.
 | A Pilot Study of Insert Nonlinear Diffusion Gradient Coil on Calf Imaging Horace Z. Zhang1, Nahla M H Elsaid2, Terence Nixon1,2, R. Todd Constable1,2, Albert J. Sinusas1,2,3, and Gigi Galiana1,2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States, 2Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States, 3Department of Cardiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States Keywords: Diffusion Acquisition, Diffusion/other diffusion imaging techniques, Nonlinear diffusion gradient Motivation: A flexible light-weight nonlinear gradient coil was recently proposed and the feasibility for diffusion imaging is to be studied. Goal(s): To get EPI imaging on calf with the presence of the nonlinear diffusion gradient coil Approach: We design the experiment, processing pipeline, and an ADC map is shown as preliminary quantitative validation. Results: This study demonstrates the feasibility of diffusion imaging using an insert diffusion gradient coil. Impact: This
study demonstrates the feasibility of diffusion imaging using an insert
diffusion gradient coil, paving the way for further application of muscle and
nerve imaging on the lower extremities with high gradient strength. |
| 08:15 | 0497.
 | Skeletal Muscle phosphocreatine assessment in diabetes and peripheral arterial disease with 1H MRI: a feasibility study Ryan Wahidi1, Ran Li2, Mohammed A Zayed3, Mary K Hastings4, Jiadi Xu5, Yi Zhang6, Clay F Semenkovich7, and Jie Zheng8
1Radiology, Washington University in, Saint Louis, MO, United States, 2Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States, 3Surgery, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States, 4Program for Physical Therapy, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States, 5Radi, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States, 6Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 7Medicine, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States, 8Radiology, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States Keywords: Functional/Dynamic, Metabolism, diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, perfusion Motivation: Both Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) and peripheral artery disease (PAD) are linked to impaired mitochondrial function in peripheral tissue that may precede micro-vascular disorders. Goal(s): The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of 1H-based MRI for dynamic quantification of skeletal muscle PCr (SMPCr) concentration in vivo on a 3T clinical MRI system, in healthy controls, T2D, and PAD. Approach: Dynamic 1H-based PCr imaging was developed and evaluated in human subjects in a rest-exercise-recovery protocol, based on Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) technique. Results: Reproducibility of PCr measurement and declines in measures of mitochondria function in aging and diseases are demonstrated. Impact: The 1H MRI technique was able to measure differences in
assessing mitochondrial function in people with T2D and PAD, without additional hardware. This technical development may allow early diagnosis of complications associated with various peripheral disorders. |
| 08:15 | 0498.
 | UTE-Based DW-SSFP for Musculoskeletal MRI Kwan-Jin Jung1
1Beckman Institute, Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States Keywords: Tendon/Ligament, Tendon/Ligament, DW-SSFP Motivation: Fiber tracking of ligaments suffer from a low signal due to their fast T2 relaxation during a long echo time in spin-echo EPI diffusion sequences. Goal(s): Shorten the echo time of the diffusion sequence and acquire in 3D. Approach: Use a 3D spiral-in readout in a DW-SSFP sequence. Results: The 3D spiral-in readout features an enhanced signal, shorter TR or TE, a wider interval for diffusion gradients, reduced geometric distortion, and a minimized echo time shift. It is demonstrated for tracts of knee ligaments using ex vivo hind limbs of piglets. Impact: The
proposed diffusion imaging sequence provides a high sensitivity to musculoskeletal
tissue with
short T2 relaxation times. This will be useful in studying the muscles, tendons,
ligaments, and cartilage. |
| 08:15 | 0499.
 | Single point Dixon for water-fat separation in musculoskeletal TSE imaging Anh T Van1, Kilian Weiss2, Mateo Argudo1, Christof Boehm1, Georg C Feuerriegel1, Alexandra S Gersing1, and Dimitrios C Karampinos1
1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, 2Philips GmbH Market DACH, Hamburg, Germany Keywords: Other Musculoskeletal, Fat, Bone, Fat/Water separation Motivation: TSE Dixon imaging is highly desired in clinical musculoskeletal imaging for its versatile contrasts. However, conventional Dixon imaging needs at least two different echo times, resulting in prolonged scan time. Goal(s): To develop a single point Dixon imaging technique for TSE acquisition (sTSE-Dixon) that provide fat-separated, water-separated and in phase images from a single echo time acquisition. Approach: Shifted single echo TSE acquisition was combined with smoothness-constrained non-linear inverse water fat problem. Results: High quality water-separated, fat-separated and in phase images comparable to those obtained with conventional two-point Dixon were achieved from a single echo time shifted TSE acquisition. Impact: In this work, a single echo time TSE sequence can deliver three image sets that are of great clinical need, including fat-separated images (comparable to standard T1-weighted), water-separated images (comparable to STIR), in-phase images (comparable to standard T2-weighted) |
| 08:15 | 0500.
 | Application of diffusion microstructure imaging in thigh muscle Yiou Wang1, Ziru Qiu2,3, Kan Deng4, Queenie Chan5, Zhongping Zhang4, Xinyuan Zhang2,3, and Xiaodong Zhang1
1The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, 2School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, GuangZhou, China, 3Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing and Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Technology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, 4Philips Healthcare, Guangzhou, China, 5Philips Healthcare, Hong Kong, China Keywords: Muscle, Aging, thigh muscle, Fat/Water Separation Motivation: Diffusion microstructure imaging (DMI) obtains the distribution of three microstructure compartments of each voxel[1], and more specifically understands the microstructure integrity of tissues. Goal(s): Quantitative detection of the correlation between the microstructure parameters of thigh muscle and its fat infiltration degree and its relationship with the body composition of healthy individuals. Approach: We used DMI and mDIXON quant sequences to measure microstructural parameters and fat fraction (FF) of thigh muscle in healthy individuals, and to assess the value of DMI in thigh muscle imaging. Results: DMI parameters differed significantly during aging and were significantly correlated with intramuscular FF. Impact: The change of DMI parameters is a sensitive indicator of the physiological changes of muscle fiber structure during aging, which may suggest the microstructure characteristics of local metabolic changes in the body during aging. |
| 08:15 | 0501.
 | Quantification of the anisotropic biomechanical properties of the lower leg muscles during muscle contraction using MR elastography and DTI Mahsa Salimi Majd1, Heiko Tzschätzsch 2, Yang Yang1, Tom Meyer1, Steffen Görner1, Noah Jaitner1, Alison Agres3, Jürgen Braun1, Ingolf Sack 1, and Jing Guo1
1Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 2Institute of Medical informatics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany, 3Berlin Institute of Health Julius Wolff Institut - Center for Musculoskeletal Biomechanics and Regeneration, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany Keywords: Elastography, Elastography, MSK, MRE, anisotropic MRE, lower leg muscle,...... Motivation: Determining the in vivo mechanical properties of synergist muscles is challenging. Goal(s): In this study, we developed an anisotropic inversion method for MR elastography (MRE) to quantify biomechanical parameter changes in lower leg muscles during passive plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. Approach: Based on DTI and multifrequency MRE in 13 male volunteers, stiffness reconstruction was performed after aligning MRE with DTI coordinate systems. Isotropic shear wave speed (ciso) and anisotropic shear wave speed, parallel (c$$$_{\parallel}$$$) and perpendicular (c$$$_{\perp}$$$) to the fiber orientation were obtained. Results: Our findings showed significant changes of biophysical properties during muscle movements, particularly c$$$_{\parallel}$$$ and c$$$_{\perp}$$$ are more sensitive than ciso. Impact: Anisotropic muscle stiffness measured by DTI-MRE provides a consistent biomarker sensitive to changes in muscle structure and alignment altered by passive muscle movements such as plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. |
| 08:15 | 0502.
 | Multiband Real-Time MRI at high frame rate (80fps) for studying the kinematics of joint movement in health and disease. Isaac Watson1, Elisa Zamboni2, James McStravick3, Fabio Zambolin3, Martin Trefzer1, Angelika Sebald4, Jamie S McPhee3, and Aneurin James Kennerley3
1School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, York, United Kingdom, 2School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, 3Sports and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom, 4York Cross-disciplinary Centre for Systems Analysis, University of York, York, United Kingdom Keywords: Whole Joint, Data Acquisition, Real Time MRI Motivation: Our research addresses the need for improved imaging techniques to assess joint kinematics in orthopedic and neuro-pathological conditions, with a focus on osteoarthritis. Goal(s): The goal of this project is to investigate the capability of real-time MRI to assess joint mobility and function to aid clinical diagnosis and health/exercise research. Approach: We use a multi-band real-time MRI sequence, capturing joint movement at 80 frames per second in various body parts, including the mouth, temporo-mandibular joint, thumb, knee, and foot/ankle. Results: We demonstrate the feasibility of real-time MRI, offering detailed kinematic information while retaining soft tissue contrast. Impact: Our
real-time MRI technique, capturing joint motion at 80 frames per second, can empower
clinical diagnostics and health research related to joint kinematics. It offers
precise, dynamic insights into joint function, potentially improving patient
care and advancing scientific understanding. |