Feasibility of Texture Analysis for the Assessment of Biochemical Changes in Meniscal Tissue on T1 Maps Calculated From Delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cartilage Data

Abstract

Texture features extracted from T1 maps calculated from dGEMRIC data are feasible for the in vivo assessment of biochemical changes in the menisci, such as might be induced by mechanical loading. Thus, T1(Gd) texture features complement conventional relaxation time measurements. Further studies are necessary to determine whether the mechanical compression, or a prolonged Gd-DTPA uptake, or both, are responsible for the observed decrease in mean T1(Gd) relaxation times in the menisci.