Abstract: This paper investigated the value of 3.0T MRI multi-b-value magnetic resonance diffusion-eighted imaging (DWI) and T2*mapping imaging cartilage quantitative analysis techniques in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). 60 patients (92 knees) with KOA were selected as the observation group, and another 60 patients (90 knees) with healthy physical examination at the same period were selected as the control group, and all of them underwent multi-b-value DWI and T2*mapping sequence scanning to obtain articular cartilage slow diffusion coefficient (SlowADC value), fast diffusion coefficient (FastADC value), and T2* value. The results showed in the observation group the articular cartilage medial and lateral SlowADC, FastADC and T2* values were higher than in the control group (P<0.05). The articular cartilage medial and lateral SlowADC, FastADC and T2* values were positively correlated with the occurrence and extent of KOA (P<0.05). The AUC of combined diagnosis of articular cartilage medial and lateral SlowADC, FastADC and T2* values for KOA was 0.900, and the AUC of combined assessment of the extent for KOA was 0.881. Multi-b-value DWI and T2*mapping imaging cartilage quantitative analysis techniques can evaluate KOA cartilage damage early and distinguish different periods of KOA, which are of great value for early diagnosis and condition assessment of KOA.

Key words: knee osteoarthritis, articular cartilage, multi-b-value magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging, T2*mapping, diagnosis, disease assessment