Hyun Song MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Won-Hee Jee MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Joon-Yong Jung MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

So-Yeon Lee, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Chang Woo Chun, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

In-Tak Chu, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To retrospectively compare an isotropic three-dimensional (3D) fat-suppressed (FS) turbo spin-echo sequence (TSE-SPACE) with conventional two-dimensional (2D) TSE sequences for chronic lateral collateral ligament tears at 3.0 T ankle MR imaging.

The institutional ethics committee approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement to obtain informed consent. Forty-four patients who had ankle surgery for chronic lateral ankle instability by the same orthopedic surgeon over 18 month period and had 3.0 T ankle MR imaging were included. In addition to conventional 2D TSE sequences, 3D FS TSE-SPACE was obtained to produce multiplanar intermediate-weighted images with 0.6-mm isotropic resolution. Each MR imaging of 2D and 3D TSE sequences was separately and independently scored for the presence of lateral collateral ligament tears by two reviewers. Diagnostic performances between readers were compared with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

At surgery there were 42 anterior talofibular ligament tears and 31 calcaneofibular ligament tears. Mean sensitivity and accuracy of both reviewers on 2D TSE sequences versus 3D FS TSE SPACE were 96% and 95% versus 95% and 93% for anterior talofibular ligament tears and 79% and 66% versus 87% and 70% for calcaneofibular ligament tears, respectively, which were not significantly different in both reviewers (McNemar statistics). Regarding anterior talofibular ligament tears, the areas under the ROC curves for each reader were 0.91 and 0.99 for 2D TSE sequences and 0.85 and 0.90 for 3D FS TSE-SPACE, which were not significantly different. Positive interobserver agreements were 95% (78/82) for both 2D TSE and 3D FS TSE-SPACE. Regarding calcaneofibular ligament tears, the ROC curves for each reader were 0.56 and 0.58 for 2D TSE sequences and 0.66 and 0.56 for 3D FS TSE-SPACE, which were not significantly different.

Isotropic 3D FS TSE-SPACE was comparable to conventional 2D TSE sequences for diagnosing chronic lateral collateral ligament tears at 3.0 T ankle MR imaging.

3D FS TSE-SPACE enables rapid isotropic imaging of the ankle with multiplanar reformation and is comparable to conventional 2D TSE MRI for diagnosing chronic lateral collateral ligament tears at 3.0 T

Song, H, Jee, W, Jung, J, Lee, S, Chun, C, Chu, I, Chronic Lateral Collateral Ligament Tears of the Ankle: Diagnosis with 3D Isotropic Turbo Spin-Echo SPACE Sequence vs Conventional 2D TSE Sequences at 3.0 T.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11010904.html