MR imaging of osteonecrosis using frequency selective chemical shift sequences

The MR appearance of osteonecrosis was assessed on selective fat- and water images to further evaluate the nature of double-line sign. Conventional T1- and T2-weighted SE and frequency selective chemical shift images of eight patients with avascular necrosis of the femoral head and three patients with bone infarcts were retrospectively reviewed. Eight of 11 patients showed a double-line sign on T2-weighted SE images. In these cases, correlation with selective water images revealed that a chemical shift artifact contributed to appearance and location of the hyperintense line. The authors conclude that chemical shift imaging improves our understanding of the nature of the double-line sign. (orig.)