Ultra-Short Echo Time (UTE) imaging, characterized by acquisition schemes with Echo Times (TE) of < 1 msec, have enabled new applications of pediatric musculoskeletal (MSK) MRI including cortical bone, tendons and ligaments. The protons in the bone collagen matrix have an effective T2* on the order of 20 – 80 µsec. The UTE sequence consists of a 40 µs long non-selective RF pulse followed by transmit/receive switch time and a 100% asymmetric data, i.e. free induction decay, acquisition from the center to the surface of a sphere. In order to achieve the shortest possible TE, data acquisition starts already during ramp-up time of the readout gradient. The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility and compare two UTE sequences, a prototype 3D UTE with radial koosh-ball acquisition and clinically available pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA), in pediatric patients referred for clinical MSK studies. Read More

Meeting name: SPR 2020 Annual Meeting & Postgraduate Course , 2020

Authors: Serai Suraj, Carson Robert, Venkatesh Tanvi, Kollasch Peter, Liu Ke Cheng, Rajapakse Chamith, Nguyen Jie

Keywords: UTE

Anatomic changes during bone growth and skeletal maturation are under-studied and incompletely understood, partially attributed to the sparing use of ionizing radiation in children. Recently, a clinically-feasible UTE (ultra-short echo time) MRI technique has emerged, enabling the direct visualization of bone. Although validated in adults, its spatial resolution and reproducibility have not been fully investigated in children. Therefore, the purpose of this study is 1) to determine the feasibility of UTE MRI to quantify changes in vertebral porosity and disc hydration along the thoracolumbar spine and 2) to investigate inter-rater reproducibility. Read More

Meeting name: SPR 2020 Annual Meeting & Postgraduate Course , 2020

Authors: Nguyen Jie, Hong Shijie, Nguyen Michael, Venkatesh Tanvi, Serai Suraj, Carson Robert, Barrera Christian, Cahill Patrick, Rajapakse Chamith

Keywords: quantitative MRI, bone, spine