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Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2013; 26(02): 100-104
DOI: 10.3415/VCOT-12-03-0033
Original Research
Schattauer GmbH

Contrast magnetic resonance imaging for measurement of cartilage glycosaminoglycan content in dogs: A pilot study

J. F. Naughton
1   Current Address: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
2   Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
,
M. C. Stewart
2   Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
,
L. Ciobanu
3   Beckman Biomedical Imaging Center, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
4   Current address: NeuroSpin, Institut d'Imagerie RMN, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Saclay, France
,
P. D. Constable
5   Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 05 March 2012

Accepted 02 October 2012

Publication Date:
18 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

Objective: To assess the ability of a contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to quantitatively determine glycosaminoglycan content in canine articular cartilage.

Methods: Fifty-four full-thickness cartilage discs were collected from the femorotibial and scapulohumeral joints of three adult dogs immediately following euthanasia. One set of discs from each dog was analysed for glycosaminoglycan content using a colourimetric laboratory assay. The remaining position-matched set of discs from contralateral limbs underwent pre- and post-contrast gadolinium-enhanced MRI, using repeated saturation recovery pulse sequences which were used to generate calculated T1 maps of the cartilage discs. Linear regression analysis was then performed relating delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI T1 calculated signal intensity to the cartilage glycosaminoglycan content normalized to DNA content. Repeatability of triplicate measurements was estimated by calculating the coefficient of variation.

Results: Mean coefficient of variation estimates for the gadolinium-enhanced MRI T1 signal intensity values for nine sampling sites from three dogs ranged from 5.9% to 7.5%. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI T1 signal intensity was significantly correlated (p <0.05) with normalized glycosaminoglycan content in two dogs (r = 0.79, p = 0.011; r = 0.78, p = 0.048), but not in the third dog (r = 0.53, p = 0.071).

Clinical significance: Gadolinium-enhanced MRI assessment of cartilage may be predictive of glycosaminoglycan content and therefore offer an in vivo assessment of changes in cartilage characteristics over time. Additional studies appear indicated to determine the reliability and clinical applicability of gadolinium-enhanced MRI in detecting changes in cartilage over time.

Keywords

Canine - cartilage - gadolinium - Magnetic resonance imaging - glycosaminoglycan
 

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