Tendons: high-field-strength, surface coil MR imaging

High-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images of the tendons of the hands, wrists, feet, and ankles of six healthy volunteers and six cadavers were obtained using receive-only surface coils and reduced-field-of-view imaging. Normal anatomy was identified and compared with gross anatomic sections of the six cadavers. Experimentally produced tears of the calcaneal (Achilles) tendon in domestic swine were identified on MR images. The hands and feet of 11 patients were examined, and a variety of pathologic lesions were identified, including acute posttraumatic rupture, acute tenosynovitis, chronic tendonitis, and postsurgical complications. MR imaging provides inherently greater soft-tissue contrast than any other currently available imaging modality. With the use of surface coils and reduced-field-of-view imaging to enhance spatial resolution, MR imaging has become a valuable tool for imaging tendons. Advantages over other available modalities include excellent depiction of anatomic detail, superior contrast resolution, and the potential for multiplanar imaging.