Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Short T2 Tissues Using Quantitative Ultrashort Echo Time Double Echo Steady State (qUTE-DESS)

Motivation: There is currently no effective diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique for short T2 tissues. Goal(s): This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of quantitative UTE-DESS (qUTE-DESS) for DTI of both short and long T2 tissues in the musculoskeletal system. Approach: qUTE-DESS was implemented on a 3T clinical scanner and validated using agarose and sucrose phantoms, a celery phantom, a porcine specimen, and a knee joint from a healthy volunteer. Results: qUTE-DESS produced high-resolution DTI parameter maps, including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), effectively detecting short T2 tissues such as tendon, ligament, and meniscus, as well as long T2 tissues. Impact: qUTE-DESS-based DTI may provide accurate information on collagen (via FA) and proteoglycan content (via MD) in both short and long T2 tissues throughout the joint, enabling a comprehensive assessment of musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis.