Development of MR-based procedures and technologies for non-invasive in-vivo assessment of mechanical loading of tissues: Movement and straining of soft tissue structures using the knee joint as example system

验证和评估由于生理或病理适应过程引起的组织特性的变化，需要对体内相关的应力有基本的了解，以解开这种机械-生物耦合。然而，到目前为止，在考虑到他或她的关节S特定的解剖学和运动学的同时，分析单个患者的组织应力还不可能。因此，本研究项目的目的是利用基于MR的动态成像技术来确定和识别在活体被动和主动运动过程中的应力(软组织结构的应变)及其(动态)变化。选择膝关节，我们的目标是示范演示关节运动和组织结构的应变是如何相互作用的。特别是，我们感兴趣的是处理跨越膝关节的软组织的图像信息，以使作为作用应力的关联的应变能够被可视化和量化。在体内和3D中监测病理运动模式及其应变模式将首次深入了解完整关节中韧带、肌腱和半月板弹性变形的动力学及其在损伤关节中的修改(例如，年轻和老年患者的前交叉韧带断裂)。这种患者特异性记录将允许证明关于特定情况下的组织适应的机械-生物耦合的范例，并评估体内的病理学、干预和预防概念。

Verification and assessment of changes of tissue properties due to physiological or pathological adaption processes require fundamental understanding of the associated stress in vivo for unraveling this mechano-biological coupling. To date, however, analysis of tissue stress in single patients individually while taking into account his or her joint s specific anatomy and kinematics has not become possible yet. Therefore, the aim of this research project is to determine and identify both the stress (strain of soft tissue structures) and its (dynamic) changes during passive and active movement in vivo by using MR-based, dynamic imaging. Choosing the knee joint, we aim to demonstrate exemplarily how joint movement and strain of tissue structures interact. In particular, we are interested to process the image information of soft tissues spanning the knee joint in such a way that the strains serving as a correlate of the acting stress can be visualized and quantified. Monitoring pathological movement patterns together with their strain patterns in vivo and in 3D would then provide for the first time insight into the dynamics of elastic deformation of ligaments, tendons and menisci in the intact joint as well as its modifications in an injured joint (e.g. ACL rupture in young and elderly patients). This patient specific recording would allow proving the paradigm of the mechano-biological coupling with respect to tissue adaptation in specific situations and assessing pathologies, interventions and preventive concepts in vivo.