Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a technique in which diffusion of water molecules is restricted by cellular membranes. In the physis and adjacent metaphysis, the physeal metaphyseal complex (PMC), the columns of cartilage and newly formed bone restrict the diffusion of water to primarily the longitudinal direction. DTI indirectly measures physeal activity by revealing tissue microarchitecture of the PMC and by measuring the Brownian motion of water along the columns of bone and cartilage, which can be imaged and quantified as tractography. Having conducted DTI-MRI on over 900 knees, our research group has established that DTI can distinguish between a normal and a dysfunctional physis. A physeal bar or partial physeal arrest is the consequence of injury to an open physis, resulting in a perpendicular bony bridge through the physis which can lead to limb shortening or angular deformity. This poster presents our initial experience in performing DTI on the growth plate in 7 patients (5 females, 2 males) with MR-confirmed physeal bars to characterize tractography patterns associated with bony bridges and compare the tracotgraphy and diffusion metrics of the injured versus the healthy contralateral physis. Read More

Meeting name: SPR 2024 Annual Meeting & Postgraduate Course , 2024

Authors: Santos Laura, Kammen Bamidele, Sabharwal Sanjeev, Kvist Ola, Hitt Dave, Jambawalikar Sachin, Jaramillo Diego

Keywords: diffusion tensor imaging, physeal bar, physeal injury