To evaluate repaired rotator cuff morphologically and quantitatively in one GRAPPATINI MRI examination

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• GRAPPATINI is a novel MRI technique capable of generating synthetic T2 images (T2_synth) and T2 maps within a single scan.
• Assessing repaired rotator cuffs (RC) requires both morphological and quantitative evaluations, often necessitating multiple imaging sequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of GRAPPATINI in simultaneously assessing the morphology of repaired rotator cuffs (RC) using T2_synth images.
• To quantitatively evaluate postoperative clinical outcomes by analyzing T2 maps generated by GRAPPATINI.

Main Methods:

• Prospective examination of 45 individuals with repaired RC (postoperative >2 years) using GRAPPATINI MRI and collection of clinical scores.
• Image quality assessed via contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of T2_synth vs. conventional T2-weighted (T2W) images.
• Two blinded readers graded RC repairs using Sugaya classification on both T2_synth and T2W images; T2 values correlated with clinical scores.

Main Results:

• GRAPPATINI acquired both T2_synth and T2 maps in a clinically feasible time (2:18 min).
• No significant difference in CNR between T2_synth and conventional T2W images (P=0.9).
• Inter-rater agreement for Sugaya classification was similar for T2_synth and T2W images (P=0.8); T2 values correlated significantly with functional outcomes (r=0.39-0.52, P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• GRAPPATINI provides comprehensive morphological and quantitative shoulder assessment in a single MRI scan.
• The technique is efficient for evaluating rotator cuff repair status and predicting functional outcomes after arthroscopic repair.