T 2 MRI at 3T of cartilage and menisci in patients with hyperuricemia: initial findings

Objective To compare and evaluate T 2 values of compartmental femorotibial cartilage and subregional menisci in patients with hyperuricemia at 3T. Materials and methods Thirty-two subjects were included in this study and subdivided into two subgroups: 15 healthy controls (3 females, 12 males; mean age = 45.3 ± 10.9 years), 17 patients with hyperuricemia (2 females, 15 males; mean age = 44.4 ± 12.7 years). All subjects were assessed on a 3T MR scanner using an 8-channel phased-array knee coil (transmit-receive). Wilcoxon rank sum test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to determine whether there were any statistically significant differences in T 2 values of compartmental femorotibial cartilage and subregional menisci between the two subgroups. Results Lateral tibial cartilage (48.6 ± 3.5 ms) in healthy subgroup had significantly lower ( p < 0.05) T 2 values than all subcompartments of femorotibial cartilage in hyperuricemia subgroup. Medial tibial cartilage (56.5 ± 4.3 ms) in hyperuricemia subgroup had significantly higher ( p < 0.05) T 2 values than all subcompartments of femorotibial cartilage except medial tibial cartilage in healthy subgroup. Medial anterior horn of meniscus (39.4 ± 2.9 ms) in healthy subgroup had significantly lower ( p < 0.05) T 2 values than all subregional menisci except both medial anterior horn and medial body segment of meniscus in hyperuricemia subgroup. Conclusion T 2 values in certain compartmental femorotibial cartilage and subregional menisci in patients with hyperuricemia are evidently and abnormally heightened compared with those in healthy subjects, to which special attention should be paid when diagnosing and treating the patients with hyperuricemia in the clinical setting. Graphical abstract The LT cartilage had significantly lower T 2 values (48.6 ± 3.5 ms) in healthy subgroup compared to all compartmental femorotibial cartilage in cohort with HU. MF cartilage had significantly lower T 2 values (51.6 ± 2.9 ms) in healthy subgroup compared to both LF (54.4 ± 4.1 ms) and MT (56.5 ± 4.3 ms) in cohort with HU. MT cartilage had significantly higher T 2 values (56.5 ± 4.3 ms) in cohort with HU subgroup compared to LF (52.5 ± 3.0 ms) in healthy subgroup. T 2 mapping may be promising and potential sensitive discriminator of understanding and examining the early compositional and structural change in proteoglycan–collagen matrix of human femorotibial cartilage in patients with hyperuricemia.