Visualization by magnetic resonance imaging of focal cartilage lesions in the excised mini‐pig knee

Abstract This study showed that magnetic resonance imaging can be used to visualize partial thickness cartilage lesions, 0.7 x 10 mm in area and 0.5 mm in depth, surgically induced in the femur (femoropatellar compartment) of a mini-pig knee joint. Formalin-fixed joints, intact as well as disarticulated, were studied by high resolution imaging using a 2.35 T, 31 cm horizontal-bore superconducting magnet. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional spatial resolutions achievable were as follows: 0.12 x 0.23 mm (two-dimensional) and 0.35 x 0.35 x 0.35 mm (three-dimensional) for the intact joint, and 0.08 x 0.08 mm (two-dimensional) and 0.14 x 0.14 x 0.27 mm (three-dimensional) for the disarticulated joint. These results demonstrate that magnetic resonance imaging, together with edge detection and volume rendering, can be used to visualize focal cartilage lesions.