Can you see articular cartilage on MRI?
MRI Appearance of Normal Articular Cartilage The sensitivity of MRI is reduced due to the partial volume averaging effects, which may often mask early chondral lesions like fissures and cartilage flaps.
What is the best MRI sequence for cartilage?
The most promising novel MRI pulse sequences for cartilage imaging are water-selective excitation techniques such as 3D spoiled gradient echo with spectral spatial pulses (3D SS-SPGR), 3D steady state free precession (3D SSFP), 3D DESS and 3D fast spin echo (3D FSE) techniques.
Will an MRI show knee cartilage?
What is MRI? MRI machines use magnetic fields and radio waves to form images of a wide range of structures in the body. An MRI is required to see possible cartilage problems in the joint and, more importantly, the MRI has to be a good one.
What is cartilage mapping MRI?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the technique of choice for the assessment of articular cartilage pathologies due to its high soft tissue contrast, better spatial resolution and the possibility to acquire and reconstruct in different planes [2].
What is the articular cartilage of the knee?
Articular cartilage is the dense, fibrous cartilage cap that covers the ends of bones within the joint. In the knee, articular cartilage covers the lower end of the femur (thigh bone), the upper end of the tibia (shin bone), and the undersurface of the patella (knee cap).
What is an articular lesion?
Description. Articular cartilage lesions is a collective term for injuries where the articular cartilage of the knee joint is affected, such as chondromalacia, tears in the articular cartilage, etc. They occur in patients of varying ages.
Where is articular cartilage found?
joint
In a joint, hyaline cartilage is referred to as articular cartilage. This is because the cartilage covers bones’ surfaces where they articulate, or meet to form the joint. For example, at the knee joint, the top of the tibia, the bottom of the femur, and the back of the kneecap are covered with articular cartilage.
What is articular cartilage in the knee?
Articular cartilage is the smooth, white tissue that covers the ends of bones where they come together to form joints. Healthy cartilage in our joints makes it easier to move. It allows the bones to glide over each other with very little friction. Articular cartilage can be damaged by injury or normal wear and tear.
How is an articular cartilage injury diagnosed?
How Is an Articular Cartilage Defect (Injury) Diagnosed? The physician examines the knee, looking for decreased range of motion, pain along the joint line, swelling, fluid on the knee, abnormal alignment of the bones making up the joint and ligament or meniscal injury.