Diagnostics of joints using magic angle directional imaging

Conventional MRI cannot accurately diagnose tissues such as ligaments, tendons and cartilage. Patients, who suffer chronic pain and seek cure, often undergo arthroscopy, a form of keyhole surgery, often without much certainty about their value. We have developed an entirely new type of MRI scanner, which enables us to obtain non-invasively detailed new information about microscopic properties, potentially providing new and safe methods for diagnosing disease or injury in joints. This scanner is open and very comfortable for claustrophobic patients. It is also significantly cheaper, very compact and much easier to install than those normally found in hospitals. In this project we will provide the evidence needed to adopt the new methods in practice, by conducting trials, first with healthy volunteers, and then with selected patients already undergoing treatment. This could lead to rapid and accurate MRI imaging as a new standard technique for diagnosing injury or disease of joints.