Elsevier

PET Clinics

Volume 14, Issue 1, January 2019, Pages 175-182
PET Clinics

Hot Topics of Research in Musculoskeletal Imaging: PET/MR Imaging, MR Fingerprinting, Dual-energy CT Scan, Ultrashort Echo Time

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpet.2018.08.014Get rights and content

Section snippets

Key points

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    The practical role of various novel imaging techniques remain unclear for musculoskeletal applications.

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    Ultrashort echo time sequence is capable of imaging the deepest layers of the cartilage.

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    PET/MR imaging might dedicate to imaging of degenerative joint disease, inflammatory and infectious arthritis, pain-related neural activity, and assessment of muscle function.

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    Dual-energy CT scan have been used for quantification of mono-sodium urate crystals, however several other applications require more

Magnetic resonance fingerprinting

Conventional MR imaging is theoretically aimed to produce a single echo of a constant signal at a single time point using a fixed set of radio frequency (RF) pulses and flip angles. However, the signal acquisition process may be contaminated by the fact that applying multiple RF pulses in a particular sequence may result in other spins and stimulated echoes at undesired times. Conventionally, these undesired echoes are refocused or spoiled to help the single target signal reaching a steady

Ultrashort echo time sequence

The osteochondral junction is a complex tissue structure of 100 to 200 μm thick with essential functions relating to the structural stability, proper nutrition, and repair of the articular cartilage.20 Conventional MR sequences are inadequate at visualization of the osteochondral junction, mainly due to the intrinsic ultrashort T2 relaxation time of osteochondral structure. Ultrashort time echo (UTE) imaging is a technique to isolate the signal from the osteochondral junction. Ultrashort echo

PET/MR imaging

The introduction of integrated PET/MR imaging has been highly promising, because MR imaging provided structural, anatomic, and functional data, whereas PET allows quantification of metabolic measures. PET has the ability to assess the earliest metabolic changes at a molecular level in many of musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore, PET/MR imaging can provide a comprehensively combined anatomic, functional, and metabolic view in a single imaging section.25, 26

Because PET/MR imaging is an emerging

Dual-energy CT scan

Dual Energy CT scan (DECT), and spectral CT scan are trending imaging technologies, which has shown substantial beneficial diagnostic effects during the last decade. These techniques allow clinicians to discriminate various elements in the body based on their biochemical composition.

Spectral CT scan is acquired using the entire spectrum of energy levels and then during post-processing steps, any energy levels might be chosen. Dual-energy scanners use 2 separate x-ray tubes for acquiring images

Summary

There is a rapidly growing interest in application of novel imaging techniques for characterization of various musculoskeletal disorders. Although some techniques are already used for several musculoskeletal disorders, ongoing research is required to validate others. The authors presented current research trends and possible future research directions. There are considerable potentials in MRF, UTE, PET/MR, and DECT for characterization of various musculoskeletal disorders. Ongoing research is

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