Real time assessment of temporomandibular joint using HASTE sequences: feasibility and comparison with standard static sequences.

OBJECTIVE to test real-time MRI (rtMRI) using HASTE sequences in patients with suspected internal disk derangement (IDD) of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and to compare these sequences with standard static sequences. METHODS AND MATERIALS 99 TMJ were studied with both standard sequences (fat-saturated proton density) and HASTE sequences with high temporal resolution. Image quality was assessed using a 4-point Likert scale. Two radiologists analysed both standard and rtMRI sequences separately, randomly and blinded (by a third operator) to patients' names in order to assess inter observer repeatability. One of the radiologists performed the analysis twice for assessing intra observer repeatability. The same radiologists evaluated randomly and blinded to the previous assessment both the sequences and decided in consensus which was the most credible. Qualitative scores were compared using Friedman's test while concordance between radiologists and sequences was evaluated using the concordance correlation coefficient. RESULTS At image quality analysis, mean score was 3.41 for static MRI and 3.82 for rtMRI, with a statistically significant difference in favor of rtMRI (p < 0.0001). Inter rater concordance between operator 1 (Op1) and operator2 (Op2) with regard to the same sequence was high for both static and rtMRI sequences (0.824 and 0.888, respectively). Inter rater variability of Op1 and Op2 between static and rtMRI sequences was lower (0.647 for Op1 and 0.633 for Op2). Among 71 discordances between sequences, 60 were judged in favor of rtMRI, while 11 were in favor of static MRI. CONCLUSION rtMRI with HASTE sequences is a robust technique and provide additional information in assessing IDD compared to static sequences.