T₂ Mapping at 3 T of Cartilage and Menisci in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

The aim of this study was to compare and assess T₂ values of compartmental femorotibial cartilage and subregional menisci in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) at 3 T.

Forty-two subjects were enrolled in the study and subdivided into two subgroups: 20 healthy controls (11 females, mean age = 51.6 ± 5.9 years, range 44-67 years) and 22 DM patients (8 females, mean age = 60.1 ± 8.9 years, range 40-75 years). All subjects were evaluated on a 3 T MR scanner applying a 15-channel phased-array knee coil. Wilcoxon rank sum test and analysis of covariance were exploited for detecting group differences, with false discovery rate utilized to control for false positives due to multiple comparisons.

Lateral tibial cartilage in healthy controls had significantly lower (p < 0.05) T₂ values (38.8 ± 5.4 ms) than lateral and medial femoral cartilage, respectively, in DM patients. T₂ values of medial body segment (Mc) of meniscus (33.8 ± 8.5 ms) in DM patients were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of all subregional menisci except Mc (p = 0.7496) in controls. Mc in controls had significantly higher (p < 0.05) T₂ values (31.4 ± 6.3 ms) than lateral and medial anterior horn, and lateral posterior horn of meniscus, respectively, in DM patients.

T₂ values in certain cartilage subcompartments in DM patients are abnormally elevated. T₂ mapping may be a potential imaging biomarker for detecting early subtle damage to femorotibial cartilage resulted from DM.