Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of 5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T1ρ and T2 mapping sequences in evaluating muscle changes around knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: 50 KOA patients and 36 healthy volunteers underwent knee MRI and peripheral muscle T1ρ/T2 mapping scans, comparing intergroup differences in each muscle's T1ρ/T2 values and analyzing their correlation with KOA severity. RESULTS: The T1ρ and T2 values of the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, biceps femoris, medial head of gastrocnemius, lateral head of gastrocnemius, and popliteus in KOA patients were higher than those in healthy volunteers, as well as the T2 values of the sartorius and semimembranosus. The T1ρ value of the vastus medialis is positively correlated with the whole-organ MRI score (WORMS) for the knee. The T2 values of the vastus medialis, sartorius, semimembranosus, popliteus, medial head of gastrocnemius, lateral head of gastrocnemius, biceps femoris and vastus lateralis are also positively correlated with the WORMS for the knee. CONCLUSION: The 5T MRI T1ρ and T2 mapping techniques can sensitively and quantitatively evaluate the changes in peri-articular muscles with KOA, providing important references for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of KOA.