Investig Magn Reson Imaging.  2019 Sep;23(3):228-240. 10.13104/imri.2019.23.3.228.

Quantitative T2 Mapping of Articular Cartilage of the Glenohumeral Joint at 3.0T in Rotator Cuff Disease Patients: the Evaluation of Degenerative Change of Cartilage

• Lee KR
• Ko SY
• Choi GM

• KMID: 2459877
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.13104/imri.2019.23.3.228

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study is to evaluate the T2 value of the articular cartilage of the glenohumeral joint in rotator cuff disease displayed on 3.0T MRI and to apply it in clinical practice.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study involved sixty-two patients who underwent shoulder MRI containing T2 mapping. The mean T2 value was measured by placing a free hand ROI over the glenoid or humeral cartilage from the bone-cartilage interface to the articular surface on three consecutive, oblique coronal images. The drawn ROI was subsequently divided into superior and inferior segments. The assessed mean T2 values of the articular cartilage of the glenohumeral joint were compared and evaluated based on the degree of rotator cuff tear, the degree of fatty atrophy of the rotator cuff, and the acromiohumeral distance.
RESULTS
ICC values between two readers indicated moderate or good reproducibility. The mean T2 value for the articular cartilage of the glenoid and humeral head cartilage failed to show any significant difference based on the degree of rotator cuff tear. However, the mean T2 values of articular cartilage, based on fatty atrophy, tended to be higher in fatty atrophy 3 or fatty atrophy 4 groups while some sub-regions displayed significantly higher mean T2 values. There was no correlation between the acromiohumeral distance and the mean T2 values of the articular cartilage of the glenoid and humeral head.
CONCLUSION
T2 mapping of the glenohumeral joint failed to show any significant difference in quantitative analysis of the degenerative change of the articular cartilage based on the degree of rotator cuff tear. However, it also offers quantitative information on the degenerative change of cartilage of the glenohumeral joint in patients with rotator cuff tear and severe fatty atrophy of the rotator cuff.

Keyword

Shoulder; Glenohumeral; Cartilage; Rotator cuff; T2 mapping

MeSH Terms

Atrophy
Cartilage*
Cartilage, Articular*
Hand
Humans
Humeral Head
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Rotator Cuff*
Shoulder
Shoulder Joint*
Tears

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. T2 value measurement (a, b). Three consecutive oblique coronal sections comprising large areas of humeral and glenoid cartilage were selected from the images. (c, d) On color-coded T2 maps comparing the T2-weighted image. ROI was drawn on targeted cartilage of the glenoid and humeral head respectively. The drawn ROI was subsequently divided into superior and inferior segments.

• 

  Fig. 2. (a) 46-year-old man with tendinopathy of rotator cuff and Goutallier grade 2. (b) The T2 map of the glenohumeral joint indicates slightly lower T2 value compared to the reported normal range. (The mean T2 value of reader 1; glenoid [41.88 ms], humeral head [41.95 ms], the mean T2 value of reader 2; glenoid [38.60 ms], humeral head [43.30 ms].)

• 

  Fig. 3. (a, b) 76-year-old woman with full thickness tear of rotator cuff and Goutallier grade 3. (c) The T2 map of the glenohumeral joint showing higher T2 value compared to the reported normal range. The mean T2 value of glenoid according to reader 2 was similar with the reported normal range. (The mean T2 value of reader 1; glenoid [99.15 ms], humeral head [59.43 ms], the mean T2 value of reader 2; glenoid [47.57 ms], humeral head [56.40 ms])

• 

  Fig. 4. (a, b) 72-year-old man with full thickness tear of rotator cuff and decreased acromiohumeral distance (AHD; 6.90 cm). (c) The T2 map of the glenohumeral joint indicates similar or slightly lower T2 value compared to the reported normal range. (The mean T2 value of reader 1; glenoid [45.35 ms], humeral head [48.91 ms], the mean T2 value of reader 2; glenoid [47.70 ms], humeral head [41.90 ms])

Reference

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