Dynamic cine MRI delves deeply into MSK injuries

Contrast-enhanced cine MR at 3T provides a useful, accurate way to predict and monitor recovery of Achilles tendon injuries, according to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr. Dongsuk Shin and colleagues recruited six normal subjects who underwent 30 days of chronic reduced load-bearing of one leg induced by 30 days of unilateral lower limb suspension. The subjects underwent three weeks of physical rehabilitation immediately after the induced muscle atrophy period. The investigators performed phase-contrast cine 3T MR scanning using a multichannel phased-array coil and a special strain-gauging device placed inside the leg's cast to monitor Achilles tendon stiffness changes.

The investigators found the phase-contrast cine technique successfully quantified the Achilles tendon changes after 30 days of chronic unloading. Data provided insight into the genesis and implications of strain injuries leading to or resulting from chronic unloading.