Longitudinal reproducibility of T1ρ and T2 quantification in a multi-vendor multi-site study

Abstract

Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects multiple tissues in the joint, presenting with a deterioration of articular cartilage. T2 and T1ρ relaxation times have been shown to be promising biomarkers for early detection of OA due to its sensitivity to cartilage matrix degeneration. However, few studies examined their reliability in a multi-site multi-vendor setting, which is critical for future large-scale trials that use such quantitative measures and for clinical translation of these techniques.