ABSTRACT
Cartilage is one of the most essential tissues for healthy joint function and is compromised in degenerative and traumatic joint diseases. There have been tremendous advances during the past decade using quantitative MRI technique as a noninvasive tool for evaluating cartilage, with a focus on assessing cartilage degeneration during osteoarthritis (OA). In this chapter, after a brief overview of cartilage composition and degeneration, we will discuss techniques that quantify morphologic changes as well as changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM), followed by a review of studies correlating quantitative MRI with biomechanics of the knee joint. The basic principles, in vivo applications, advantages, and challenges of each technique will be discussed.
