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Multicenter Study
. 2015 Dec;23(12):2214-2223.
doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2015.07.006. Epub 2015 Jul 15.

Cartilage T1ρ and T2 relaxation times: longitudinal reproducibility and variations using different coils, MR systems and sites

X Li  1 , V Pedoia  2 , D Kumar  3 , J Rivoire  2 , C Wyatt  2 , D Lansdown  2 , K Amano  2 , N Okazaki  2 , D Savic  2 , M F Koff  4 , J Felmlee  5 , S L Williams  5 , S Majumdar  2
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Cartilage T1ρ and T2 relaxation times: longitudinal reproducibility and variations using different coils, MR systems and sites

X Li et al. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the longitudinal reproducibility and variations of cartilage T1ρ and T2 measurements using different coils, MR systems and sites.

Methods: Single-Site study: Phantom data were collected monthly for up to 29 months on four GE 3T MR systems. Data from phantoms and human subjects were collected on two MR systems using the same model of coil; and were collected on one MR system using two models of coils. Multi-site study: Three participating sites used the same model of MR systems and coils, and identical imaging protocols. Phantom data were collected monthly. Human subjects were scanned and rescanned on the same day at each site. Two traveling human subjects were scanned at all three sites.

Results: Single-Site Study: The phantom longitudinal RMS-CVs ranged from 1.8% to 2.7% for T1ρ and 1.8-2.8% for T2. Significant differences were found in T1ρ and T2 values using different MR systems and coils. Multi-Site Study: The phantom longitudinal RMS-CVs ranged from 1.3% to 2.6% for T1ρ and 1.2-2.7% for T2. Across three sites (n = 16), the in vivo scan-rescan RMS-CV was 3.1% and 4.0% for T1ρ and T2, respectively. Phantom T1ρ and T2 values were significantly different between three sites but highly correlated (R > 0.99). No significant difference was found in T1ρ and T2 values of traveling controls, with cross-site RMS-CV as 4.9% and 4.4% for T1ρ and T2, respectively.

Conclusion: With careful quality control and cross-calibration, quantitative MRI can be readily applied in multi-site studies and clinical trials for evaluating cartilage degeneration.

Keywords: Cartilage; Multi-site study; Quantitative MRI; Reproducibility; T(1ρ); T(2).

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

No conflict of interest to the study from all authors.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of the single-site and multi-site studies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Longitudinal reproducibility of T1ρ (A) and T2 (B) values in a phantom with 3% agarose (weight/volume, %) measured from September 2011 (11–9) through July 2014 (14–7) using GE 3T MR systems: HDx long bore (HDx LB), MR750 wide bore (MR750W) and MR750. Cross-sectional variations in T1ρ (C) and T2 (D) values in phantoms using four different models of GE 3T MR systems.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Variations in in vivo T1ρ (A) and T2 (B) values and Bland-Altman plots of T1ρ (C) and T2 (D) values using different MR systems. T1ρ and T2 measured using the HDx Long Bore were significantly higher than those measured using the MR750 wide bore.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Variations in in vivo T1ρ (A) and T2 (B) values and Bland-Altman plots of T1ρ (C) and T2 (D) values using different coils. T1ρ and T2 measured using the 16PAR flex coil were significantly higher than those measured using the QT8PAR knee coil.
Figure 5
Figure 5
In vivo scan/re-scan reproducibility of cartilage T1ρ and T2 values of the multi-center study. (A) Overall CVs and CVs for each site; (B) CVs for each compartment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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