The aim of this study was to provide a new assessment of rotator cuff muscle activity.Eight male subjects (24.7 ± 3.2 years old,171.2 ± 9.8 cm tall, and weighing 63.8 ± 11.9 kg) performed the study exercises. The subjects performed 10 sets of the exercise while fixing the elbow at 90 degrees flexure and lying supine on a bed. One exercise set consisted of the subject performing external shoulder rotation 50 times using training equipment. Two imaging protocols were employed: (a) true fast imaging with steady precession (TrueFISP) at an acquisition time of 12 seconds and (b) multi-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging (MSSE-EPI) at an acquisition time of 30 seconds for one echo. The main method of assessing rotator cuff muscle activity was functional T2 mapping using ultrafast imaging (fast-acquired muscle functional MRI [fastmfMRI]). Fast-mfMRI enabled real-time imaging for the identification and evaluation of the degree of muscle activity induced by the exercise. Regions of interest were set at several places in the musculus subscapularis (sub), musculus supraspinatus (sup), musculus teres minor (ter), and deltoid muscle (del). We used the MR signal of the images and transverse relaxation time (T2) for comparison. Most of the TrueFISP signal was not changed by exercise and there was no significant difference from the resting values. Only the T2 in the musculus teres minor was increased after one set and the change were seen on the T2 images. Additionally, except for those after one and two sets, the changes in T2 were significant compared to those at rest (P < 0.01). We also demonstrated identify and visualize the extent to which muscles involved in muscle activity by exercise. In addition, we showed that muscle activity in a region such as a shoulder, which is susceptible to B0 inhomogeneity, could be easily detected using this technique.

The aim of this study was to provide a new assessment of rotator cuff muscle activity.Eight male subjects (24.7 ± 3.2 years old,171.2 ± 9.8 cm tall, and weighing 63.8 ± 11.9 kg) performed the study exercises. The subjects performed 10 sets of the exercise while fixing the elbow at 90 degrees flexure and lying supine on a bed. One exercise set consisted of the subject performing external shoulder rotation 50 times using training equipment. Two imaging protocols were employed: (a) true fast imaging with steady precession (TrueFISP) at an acquisition time of 12 seconds and (b) multi-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging (MSSE-EPI) at an acquisition time of 30 seconds for one echo. The main method of assessing rotator cuff muscle activity was functional T2 mapping using ultrafast imaging (fast-acquired muscle functional MRI [fastmfMRI]). Fast-mfMRI enabled real-time imaging for the identification and evaluation of the degree of muscle activity induced by the exercise. Regions of interest were set at several places in the musculus subscapularis (sub), musculus supraspinatus (sup), musculus teres minor (ter), and deltoid muscle (del). We used the MR signal of the images and transverse relaxation time (T2) for comparison. Most of the TrueFISP signal was not changed by exercise and there was no significant difference from the resting values. Only the T2 in the musculus teres minor was increased after one set and the change were seen on the T2 images. Additionally, except for those after one and two sets, the changes in T2 were significant compared to those at rest (P < 0.01). We also demonstrated identify and visualize the extent to which muscles involved in muscle activity by exercise. In addition, we showed that muscle activity in a region such as a shoulder, which is susceptible to B0 inhomogeneity, could be easily detected using this technique.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the number of measurement points on the calculation of transverse relaxation time (T2) with a focus on muscle T2. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study assumed that muscle T2 was comprised of a single component. Two phantom types were measured, 1 each for long (“phantom”) and short T2 (“polyvinyl alcohol gel”). Right calf muscle T2 measurements were conducted in 9 healthy male volunteers using multiple-spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging. For phantoms and muscle (medial gastrocnemius), 5 regions of interests were selected. All region of interest values were expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. The T2 effective signal-ratio characteristics were used as an index to evaluate the magnetic resonance image quality for the calculation of T2 from T2-weighted images. The T2 accuracy was evaluated to determine the T2 reproducibility and the goodness-of-fit from the probability Q. RESULTS: For the phantom and polyvinyl alcohol gel, the standard deviation of the magnetic resonance image signal at each echo time was narrow and mono-exponential, which caused large variations in the muscle T2 decay curves. The T2 effective signal-ratio change varied with T2, with the greatest decreases apparent for a short T2. There were no significant differences in T2 reproducibility when > 3 measurement points were used. There were no significant differences in goodness-of-fit when > 6 measurement points were used. Although the measurement point evaluations were stable when > 3 measurement points were used, calculation of T2 using 4 measurement points had the highest accuracy according to the goodness-of-fit. Even if the number of measurement points was increased, there was little improvement in the probability Q. CONCLUSION: Four measurement points gave excellent reproducibility and goodness-of-fit when muscle T2 was considered mono-exponential.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Polyvinyl Alcohol ; Relaxation ; Volunteers