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European Radiology
Published in: European Radiology 1/2017

01-01-2017 | Molecular Imaging

Quantitative imaging of excised osteoarthritic cartilage using spectral CT

Authors: Kishore Rajendran, Caroline Löbker, Benjamin S. Schon, Christopher J. Bateman, Raja Aamir Younis, Niels J. A. de Ruiter, Alex I. Chernoglazov, Mohsen Ramyar, Gary J. Hooper, Anthony P. H. Butler, Tim B. F. Woodfield, Nigel G. Anderson

Published in: European Radiology | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Objectives

To quantify iodine uptake in articular cartilage as a marker of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content using multi-energy spectral CT.

Methods

We incubated a 25-mm strip of excised osteoarthritic human tibial plateau in 50 % ionic iodine contrast and imaged it using a small-animal spectral scanner with a cadmium telluride photon-processing detector to quantify the iodine through the thickness of the articular cartilage. We imaged both spectroscopic phantoms and osteoarthritic tibial plateau samples. The iodine distribution as an inverse marker of GAG content was presented in the form of 2D and 3D images after applying a basis material decomposition technique to separate iodine in cartilage from bone. We compared this result with a histological section stained for GAG.

Results

The iodine in cartilage could be distinguished from subchondral bone and quantified using multi-energy CT. The articular cartilage showed variation in iodine concentration throughout its thickness which appeared to be inversely related to GAG distribution observed in histological sections.

Conclusions

Multi-energy CT can quantify ionic iodine contrast (as a marker of GAG content) within articular cartilage and distinguish it from bone by exploiting the energy-specific attenuation profiles of the associated materials.

Key points

• Contrast-enhanced articular cartilage and subchondral bone can be distinguished using multi-energy CT.
• Iodine as a marker of glycosaminoglycan content is quantifiable with multi-energy CT.
• Multi-energy CT could track alterations in GAG content occurring in osteoarthritis.
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Metadata
Title
Quantitative imaging of excised osteoarthritic cartilage using spectral CT
Authors
Kishore Rajendran
Caroline Löbker
Benjamin S. Schon
Christopher J. Bateman
Raja Aamir Younis
Niels J. A. de Ruiter
Alex I. Chernoglazov
Mohsen Ramyar
Gary J. Hooper
Anthony P. H. Butler
Tim B. F. Woodfield
Nigel G. Anderson
Publication date
01-01-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
European Radiology / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 0938-7994
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1084
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-016-4374-7

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