Magnetic resonance imaging
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We present three-dimensional ultrashort echo time Cones (3D-UTE-Cones) imaging as well as quantification of T2* and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) of Achilles tendon and its enthesis of healthy volunteers and patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) using a 3T scanner. Quantitative T2*, T2 and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) measurements of Achilles tendon and its enthesis were performed on healthy volunteers (n=7) and PsA patients (n=9) with 3D-UTE-Cones and clinical sequences at 3T. T2* was measured via single-component fitting of UTE images from two interleaved dual echo 3D-UTE-Cones acquisitions. ⋯ GRE-MTR values showed no significant differences between the groups. No reliable T2 measurement could be achieved with the CPMG sequence due to insufficient signal from entheses and tendons. The 3D-UTE-Cones sequences can be used for morphological and quantitative evaluation of entheses and tendons in PsA patients.