MR spectroscopy measurement of the diffusion of dimethyl sulfoxide in articular cartilage and comparison to theoretical predictions  A. Abazari, J.A.W. Elliott, L.E. McGann, R.B. Thompson  Osteoarthritis and Cartilage  Volume 20, Issue 9, Pages 1004-1010 (September 2012) DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2012.04.023 Copyright © 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International Terms and Conditions

Fig. 1 (Top) An MR image of a sample cartilage dowel. The region indicated by the black rectangle is the area selected by the user for the signal analysis. The zoomed region shows the locations selected for illustrative examples of the data processing, within the solution, and in mid- and deep tissue locations (below). (Bottom) Sample free-induction decay NMR signals for middle and deep cartilage and within the solution at 5, 15 and 60 min after the start of the diffusion experiment (circles). In the first 5 min, there is no DMSO deep in the tissue and the collected signal is only from water and thus a single frequency is apparent. With DMSO diffusion over time, increasing oscillation can be seen in the total signal from deep in the tissue, reflecting the presence of water and DMSO characteristic frequencies. Within the solution, the measured signals do not change with time after immersion from within the solution. The solid lines show the best fit of Eqs. (1–3) to the empirical data (circles). The best fit values for the intensity of water and DMSO (in AU) is reported on each graph, and the residual error in the fitting is shown as a dashed line. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 2012 20, 1004-1010DOI: (10.1016/j.joca.2012.04.023) Copyright © 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International Terms and Conditions

Fig. 2 Normalized distributions of water, referenced to the buffer solution surrounding the cartilage sample, and FCD for samples A, B and C (Data reported partially in Ref. 15). Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 2012 20, 1004-1010DOI: (10.1016/j.joca.2012.04.023) Copyright © 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International Terms and Conditions

Fig. 3 Graphs of water and DMSO signal intensities in AU vs location and time for samples A, B and C. The approximate location of the tissue–solution interface is indicated. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 2012 20, 1004-1010DOI: (10.1016/j.joca.2012.04.023) Copyright © 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International Terms and Conditions

Fig. 4 Comparison between the DMSO diffusion data from the NMR experiment after 5, 15 and 60 min of exposure, with the Fick's law predictions and the biomechanical model predictions, for samples A, B and C. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 2012 20, 1004-1010DOI: (10.1016/j.joca.2012.04.023) Copyright © 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International Terms and Conditions