MR imaging of the temporomandibular joint using a 3T system. A preliminary study

This initial study investigated the imaging characteristics of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), at a 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. We expected to provide high anatomical and contrast resolution, using a high-field magnetic resonance imaging system with high signal-to-noise ratio. The TMJ images were taken from five young female volunteers with no TMJ subjective symptoms. The same subjects were also used to take images of the same position with a 1.5 T MRI clinical system. We used a surface coil to define the anatomical structure of the TMJ and to make up for any loss of SNR by bone effects of the skull. In order to compare the SE sequence to the FSE sequence of the 3.0 T MRI system, we made a gold standard 1.5 T image as an expression of the TMJ anatomical structure. The border of the anatomical structure with the temporomandibular joint showed more clearly using the 3.0 T system than the 1.5 T image. Otherwise, increasing ETL (echo train length) had a negative effect on the contrast of image, causing blurring. Using the 3.0 T MRI system, the FSE sequence of ETL 2 defined anatomical structure as clear as the SE sequence. (author)