Effect of gender on in vivo cartilage magnetic resonance imaging T2 mapping.

PURPOSE To determine if gender is a significant variable for in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2-mapping of knee articular cartilage in young asymptomatic volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cartilage MRI T2 mapping was performed in a young healthy population consisting of seven male and 10 female volunteers, 22 to 29 years of age. High-resolution in vivo T2 maps were obtained of patellar, tibial, and weight-bearing femoral articular cartilage. Spatial dependency of cartilage T2 between groups was evaluated through a comparison of cartilage T2 as a function of normalized distance from bone. RESULTS Bulk cartilage T2 values were similar at all three anatomic sites, and between male and female volunteers. All volunteers demonstrated similar spatial variation in cartilage MRI T2 values, with a minimum located in the radial zone and increasing T2 values toward the articular surface. There was no difference in spatial dependency of cartilage T2 between males and females. CONCLUSION In young, healthy volunteers, the magnitude and spatial dependency of cartilage T2 does not differ with gender.