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Biomedical subjects

Andreas Mohr

Publications and source records attributed to Andreas Mohr.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Short tau inversion recovery and proton density-weighted fat suppressed sequences for the evaluation of osteoarthritis of the knee with a 1.0 T dedicated extremity MRI: development of a time-efficient sequence protocol.

Aim of this study was to develop a time-efficient sequence protocol for a 1.0 T dedicated MR system to be used for whole-organ scoring of osteoarthritis (OA). Thirty-four knees were examined using a protocol that included fat suppressed fast spin echo proton density weighted sequences (PDFS) in three planes plus a coronal STIR sequence. Two radiologists scored each knee by consensus for five OA features. In separate sessions, all knees were scored using three different combinations of sequences: (1) all four sequences (reference protocol, 16 min 31 s scanning time), (2) three PDFS sequences without STIR ("No STIR", 12 min 25 s scanning time) and (3) sagittal and axial PDFS sequences plus a coronal STIR sequence ("No PDFS", 11 min 49 s scanning time). Agreement of the readings using both subsets of sequences compared to the reference protocol was evaluated using weighted kappa statistics. kappa-coefficients showed good or excellent agreement for both sequence subsets in comparison to the reference protocol for all assessed features. kappa-coefficients for No PDFS/No STIR: bone marrow abnormalities (0.74/0.67), subarticular cysts (0.84/0.63), marginal osteophytes (0.77/0.71), menisci (0.75/0.79), tibial cartilage (0.71/0.78). Optimization of sequence protocols consisting of three sequences results in time savings and cost efficiency in imaging of knee OA without loss of information over a more time consuming protocol.

Female↗

Micro-CT arthrography: a pilot study for the ex vivo visualization of the rat knee joint.

OBJECTIVE: In our study, we evaluated the potential of micro-CT for the assessment of the rat knee joint using ex vivo micro-CT arthrography. The aims of the study were to introduce the technique of micro-CT arthrography and to visualize the normal anatomy of the rat knee. The secondary aims were the quantification of retropatellar cartilage thickness and the analysis of microstructural cancellous bone parameters within the tibial epiphysis. CONCLUSION: Micro-CT arthrography is a novel technique for the indirect visualization of the distinct features and structural analysis of the rat knee joint. This technique represents an additional imaging and analysis tool in small-animal research.

Animals↗

Imaging in spondyloarthropathies.

Seronegative spondyloarthropathies comprise a group of inflammatory arthritides, which consists of ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis (Reiter's syndrome), enteropathic arthritis, and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy. All of them share common laboratory, clinical, and imaging findings, with characteristic involvement of the sacroiliac joints, spine, and, to various degrees, peripheral joints. For many years, conventional radiography was the mainstay for definitive diagnosis of sacroiliitis and for follow-up of the anatomic changes in the spine, peripheral joints, and entheses. Conventional radiographs remain the imaging investigation of choice; however, they are unable to detect early inflammatory changes of sacroiliitis, which are important for establishing a diagnosis without delay. Other imaging modalities, such as computed tomography, bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography have improved the capabilities of detecting early disease and became useful adjuncts to plain films. In addition, they also have enabled more accurate detection of pathology at various anatomic sites of the musculoskeletal system predominantly involved in spondyloarthropathies. This article will review and highlight the role of each of these modalities in the assessment of the axial and peripheral skeleton in seronegative spondyloarthropathies.

Diagnostic Imaging↗

The value of water-excitation 3D FLASH and fat-saturated PDw TSE MR imaging for detecting and grading articular cartilage lesions of the knee.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of water-excitation (WE) 3D FLASH and fat-saturated (FS) proton density-weighted (PDw) TSE MR imaging for detecting, grading, and sizing articular cartilage lesions of the knee. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: A total of 26 patients underwent MR imaging prior to arthroscopy with the following sequences: (1) WE 3D FLASH: 28/11 ms, scan time: 4 min 58 s, flip angle: 40 degrees; (2) FS PDw TSE: 3433/15 ms, scan time: 6 min 15 s, flip angle: 180 degrees. Grade and size of the detected lesions were quantified and compared with the results of arthroscopy for each compartment. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy for detecting cartilage lesions were 46%, 92%, 81%, 71% and 74% for WE 3D FLASH and 91%, 98%, 96%, 94% and 95% for FS PDw TSE MR imaging. WE 3D FLASH correlated significantly with arthroscopy for grading on the patella ( P<0.0001) and the femoral trochlea ( P=0.02) and for sizing on the femoral trochlea ( P=0.03). FS PDw correlated significantly ( P<0.0001) with arthroscopy for grading and sizing on all compartments. CONCLUSION: FS PDw TSE is an accurate method for detecting, grading and sizing articular cartilage lesions of the knee and yielded superior results relative to WE 3D FLASH MR imaging.

Adult↗

Trypan blue staining in vitreoretinal surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of trypan blue for staining the internal limiting membrane (ILM) and epiretinal membranes (ERM) in vitreoretinal surgery. DESIGN: Prospective noncomparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty eyes of 50 patients with macular pucker (n = 22), macular hole (n = 18), or a combination (n = 2), proliferative vitreoretinopathy (n = 5), or diabetic retinopathy (n = 3). METHODS: Trypan blue 0.2% was used to stain the ILM or ERM during vitreoretinal surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The intraoperative visibility of the membranes was scored as poor, moderate, good, or excellent. RESULTS: The application of trypan blue onto the ILM or the ERM resulted in a useful bluish staining, facilitating the identification, delineation, and removal of the membranes in all surgeries. No residual staining or adverse effects related to the dye were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Trypan blue stains both ILM and ERM and might be an useful tool in vitreoretinal surgery.

Adult↗

Zmpste24 deficiency in mice causes spontaneous bone fractures, muscle weakness, and a prelamin A processing defect.

Zmpste24 is an integral membrane metalloproteinase of the endoplasmic reticulum. Biochemical studies of tissues from Zmpste24-deficient mice (Zmpste24(-/-)) have indicated a role for Zmpste24 in the processing of CAAX-type prenylated proteins. Here, we report the pathologic consequences of Zmpste24 deficiency in mice. Zmpste24(-/-) mice gain weight slowly, appear malnourished, and exhibit progressive hair loss. The most striking pathologic phenotype is multiple spontaneous bone fractures-akin to those occurring in mouse models of osteogenesis imperfecta. Cortical and trabecular bone volumes are significantly reduced in Zmpste24(-/-) mice. Zmpste24(-/-) mice also manifested muscle weakness in the lower and upper extremities, resembling mice lacking the farnesylated CAAX protein prelamin A. Prelamin A processing was defective both in fibroblasts lacking Zmpste24 and in fibroblasts lacking the CAAX carboxyl methyltransferase Icmt but was normal in fibroblasts lacking the CAAX endoprotease Rce1. Muscle weakness in Zmpste24(-/-) mice can be reasonably ascribed to defective processing of prelamin A, but the brittle bone phenotype suggests a broader role for Zmpste24 in mammalian biology.

Age Factors↗

Identification of vertebral fractures in osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration. These lead to subsequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to low-trauma or atraumatic fractures, most commonly vertebral fractures but also fractures of hip and wrist. These have a significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and health care cost. Studies have demonstrated that the presence of vertebral fractures is an independent and significant predictor of the increased risk for further fractures. The occurrence of a vertebral fracture is often clinically asymptomatic, and many of these fractures, therefore, remain undiagnosed. Recently, a number of techniques have been developed that allow for reliable identification of vertebral fractures on radiographs. The two most widely used methods in clinical research are the semiquantitative assessment of vertebral deformities, which is based on visual evaluation, and the quantitative approach, which is based on different morphometric criteria. In our practice for osteoporosis evaluation we use the Genant semiquantitative approach-an accurate and reproducible method, tested and applied in many clinical studies. The newest generation of fan-beam dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) systems delivering "high-resolution" lateral spine images offer a potential practical alternative to radiographs for clinical vertebral fracture analysis. The advantages of using DXA over conventional X-ray devices are its minimal radiation exposure and high-speed image acquisition. It also allows combined evaluation of vertebral fracture status and bone mineral density, which could become a standard for patient assessment in osteoporosis.

Humans↗

Micro-CT of carotid arteries: a tool for experimental studies.

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a high-resolution, non-destructive tool for two- and three-dimensional imaging and quantification. The ability of this technique to assess atherosclerosis of the carotid artery was evaluated in three human cadaver samples based on the original axial acquisitions, multiplanar reconstructions and volume rendering techniques. Quantitative analysis included the calculation of: (1) the original lumen perimeter, original lumen area, plaque area, residual lumen area, calcified area and gross sectional area reduction of the vascular lumen from two-dimensional slices; (2) the total tissue volume, soft tissue volume and calcified tissue volume from the three-dimensional data set. This preliminary study demonstrates the potential of micro-CT as a supplementary method for the two- and three-dimensional ex vivo evaluation of carotid atherosclerosis.

Aged↗