To evaluate repaired rotator cuff morphologically and quantitatively in one GRAPPATINI MRI examination.

Abstract

BackgroundGRAPPATINI is capable of originating synthetic T2 images (T2_synth) and T2 maps in one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.PurposeTo evaluate GRAPPATINI's performance in providing simultaneous morphological assessment of repaired rotator cuffs (RC) using T2_synth images and quantitative evaluation of the postoperative clinical outcomes on T2 maps.Material and MethodsA total of 45 individuals after repair surgery for at least 2 years were prospectively examined with GRAPPATINI MRI. Clinical scores were also collected. Image quality was measured using contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the repaired tendons on the T2_synth and compared to conventional T2-weighted (T2W) images. Two blinded readers independently graded the repaired RCs based on the Sugaya classification on both T2_synth and T2W images to calculate intra- and inter-rater agreements. In addition, T2 values of repaired RCs from the T2 maps generated by GRAPPATINI were correlated with clinical scores.ResultsGRAPPATINI successfully provided both synthetic T2W and quantitative T2 map in a clinically feasible acquisition time of 2:18 min for the shoulder. There were no significant differences in mean CNR (P = 0.9) between conventional T2W and T2_synth images_. The inter-rater agreement for the Sugaya classification did not differ significantly between T2W and T2_synth images (P = 0.8). Furthermore, T2 values of the attached RC showed significant correlations with functional outcomes (r = 0.39-0.52; P < 0.05).ConclusionThis study concludes that GRAPPATINI offers a comprehensive assessment of the shoulder by providing both morphological and quantitative evaluations in a single scan. It is an efficient tool for assessing repair status and predicting functional outcomes in patients after arthroscopic RC repair.