Cartilage compositional MRI-a narrative review of technical development and clinical applications over the past three decades

Xiaojuan Li; Jeehun Kim; Mingrui Yang; Ahmet H Ok; Štefan Zbýň; Thomas M Link; Sharmilar Majumdar; C Benjamin Ma; Kurt P Spindler; Carl S Winalski

doi:10.1007/s00256-024-04734-z

Cartilage compositional MRI-a narrative review of technical development and clinical applications over the past three decades

Skeletal Radiol. 2024 Sep;53(9):1761-1781. doi: 10.1007/s00256-024-04734-z. Epub 2024 Jul 9.

Authors

Xiaojuan Li^{1

2

3}, Jeehun Kim^{4

5}, Mingrui Yang^{4

5}, Ahmet H Ok^{4

5

6}, Štefan Zbýň^{4

5

6}, Thomas M Link⁷, Sharmilar Majumdar⁷, C Benjamin Ma⁸, Kurt P Spindler^{4

9}, Carl S Winalski^{4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Program of Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging (PAMI), Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, ND20, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA. [email protected].
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. [email protected].
³ Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. [email protected].
⁴ Program of Advanced Musculoskeletal Imaging (PAMI), Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, ND20, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁶ Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁷ Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁸ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Abstract

Articular cartilage damage and degeneration are among hallmark manifestations of joint injuries and arthritis, classically osteoarthritis. Cartilage compositional MRI (Cart-C MRI), a quantitative technique, which aims to detect early-stage cartilage matrix changes that precede macroscopic alterations, began development in the 1990s. However, despite the significant advancements over the past three decades, Cart-C MRI remains predominantly a research tool, hindered by various technical and clinical hurdles. This paper will review the technical evolution of Cart-C MRI, delve into its clinical applications, and conclude by identifying the existing gaps and challenges that need to be addressed to enable even broader clinical application of Cart-C MRI.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Cartilage; Composition MRI; Osteoarthritis; Quantitative imaging.

Cartilage compositional MRI-a narrative review of technical development and clinical applications over the past three decades

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Abstract

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