Purpose: To evaluate high resolution sequences with and without fat-suppression techniques for MR imaging of the wrist.
Materials and methods: 10 cadaver wrist specimens were imaged with 12 MR sequences (SE: 400 ms/20 ms, TSE: 3000 ms/119 ms/17 ms, fatsat (FS) TSE: 3000 ms/17 ms and 3000 ms/45 ms, STIR: 2619 ms/29 ms/160 ms, DESS 3D: 43.7 ms/9 ms/35 degrees FS and 25.4 ms/9 ms/35 degrees water excitation (WE), CISS 3D: 12.2 ms/5.9 ms/40 degrees and FLASH-sequences: 53 ms/11 ms/40 degrees FS, 23 ms/11 ms/40 degrees WE and 45 ms/11 ms/30 degrees FS) at 1.5 T. Slice thickness was 3 mm, FOV 80 x 70 mm (pixel size 0.31 x 0.31 mm). Signal intensity was measured by an ROI in bone marrow, fluid, hyaline cartilage, scapholunate (SL) ligament and triangular fibrocartilage and S/N- and C/N-ratios were calculated. Additionally, a visual evaluation was performed.
Results: The highest homogeneity and the least artifacts were achieved by the T1-w SE sequence. For the STIR and PD-FS TSE sequence high rankings were found for the detection of free water. The PD FS sequence had high ranking also for visualization of the SL ligament and the triangular fibrocartilage. The best sequence for the assessment of hyaline cartilage was the FLASH-FS sequence. For detailed analysis of bony structures the CISS sequence performed best.
Conclusion: The isolated use of a PD-FS-TSE sequence enables for evaluation of all clinically relevant structures at the wrist. Dedicated questions for hyaline cartilage are answered best by the use of a FLASH 3D-FS sequence. Selective water excitation reduces acquisition time to 60%, nevertheless FS sequences are still diagnostically superior to WE sequences.