MR imaging of the knee at 0.5 and 1.5 T

This paper assesses whether the magnetic field strength affects the accuracy of the diagnosis of meniscoligamentous lesions. Seventy-five patients suspected of internal derangement of the knee were examined with MR imaging 45 at 1.5 T and 30 at 0.5 T. MR pulse sequences were independently optimized on both systems to implement acceptable compromises between various conflicting imaging requirements. The geometric parameters were identical at both field strengths, and the total MR examination time was about 30 minutes. The diagnosis established on the basis of the MR examination was correlated with findings at arthroscopy or arthrotomy