Evaluation of an accelerated 3D SPACE sequence with compressed sensing and free-stop scan mode for imaging of the knee.

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate a prototypical 3D turbo-spin-echo proton-density-weighted sequence with compressed sensing and free-stop scan mode for preventing motion artefacts (3D-PD-CS-SPACE free-stop) for knee imaging in a clinical setting.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: 80 patients underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee with our 2D routine protocol and with 3D-PD-CS-SPACE free-stop. In case of a scan-stop caused by motion (images are calculated nevertheless) the sequence was repeated without free-stop mode. All scans were evaluated by 2 radiologists concerning image quality of the 3D-PD-CS-SPACE (with and without free-stop). Important knee structures were further assessed in a lesion based analysis and compared to our reference 2D-PD-fs sequences.

RESULTS: Image quality of the 3D-PD-CS-SPACE free-stop was found optimal in 47/80, slightly compromised in 21/80, moderately in 10/80 and severely in 2/80. In 29/80, the free-stop scan mode stopped the 3D-PD-CS-SPACE due to subject motion with a slight increase of image quality at longer effective acquisition times. Compared to the 3D-PD-CS-SPACE with free-stop, the image quality of the acquired 3D-PD-CS-SPACE without free-stop was found equal in 6/29, slightly improved in 13/29, improved with equal contours in 8/29, and improved with sharper contours in 2/29. The lesion based analysis showed a high agreement between the results from the 3D-PD-CS-SPACE free-stop and our 2D-PD-fs routine protocol (overall agreement 96.25%-100%, Cohen's Kappa 0.883-1, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: 3D-PD-CS-SPACE free-stop is a reliable alternative for standard 2D-PD-fs protocols with acceptable acquisition times.