MR imaging of articular cartilage: current status and future directions

Advances in surgical and pharmacologic techniques for treating and preventing chondral abnormalities are creating a demand for an accurate, noninvasive imaging method to evaluate articular cartilage. The most promising technique is MR imaging, but its exact role in this evaluation remains undefined. This article reviews the MR appearance of normal and abnormal articular cartilage and the various pulse sequences that can be used to evaluate chondral lesions. It also briefly discusses possible future directions for MR imaging of articular cartilage.