Limited microcirculation has been implicated in Achilles tendinopathy and may affect healing and disease progression. Existing invasive and noninvasive approaches to evaluate tendon microcirculation lack sensitivity and spatial coverage.

To develop a novel Achilles tendon intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI protocol to overcome the limitations from low tendon T₂/T₂* value and low intratendinous blood volume and blood velocity to evaluate tendon microcirculation.

Prospective.

Sixteen healthy male participants (age 31.0 ± 2.1) were recruited.

A stimulated echo readout‐segmented echo planar imaging (ste‐RS‐EPI) IVIM sequence at 3.0T.

The feasibility of the proposed ste‐RS‐EPI IVIM protocol combined with Achilles tendon magic angle effect was evaluated. The sensitivity of the protocol was assessed by an exercise‐induced intratendinous hemodynamic response in healthy participants. The vascular origin of the observed IVIM signal was validated by varying the diffusion mixing time and echo time.

Two‐tailed t‐tests were used to evaluate differences (P < 0.05 was considered significant).

Consistent with known tendon hypovascularity, the midportion Achilles tendon at baseline showed significantly lower IVIM‐derived perfusion fraction (f_p) (3.1 ± 0.9%) compared to the proximal and distal Achilles tendon (6.0 ± 1.8% and 6.1 ± 2.0%, respectively; P < 0.01). Similarly, the midportion Achilles tendon exhibited significantly lower baseline blood flow index (D*×f_p) (40.9 ± 19.2, 18.3 ± 5.3, and 32.0 ± 9.4 in proximal, midportion, and distal Achilles tendon, respectively; P < 0.01). Eccentric heel‐raise exercise led to ∼2 times increase of Achilles tendon blood flow in healthy participants. Consistent with its vascular origin, the estimated f_p demonstrated a high dependency to IVIM protocol parameters, while the T₁/T₂‐corrected absolute intratendinous microvascular blood volume fraction (V_b) did not vary.

Achilles tendon ste‐RS‐EPI IVIM noninvasively assessed baseline values and exercise‐induced changes to tendon microcirculation in healthy tendon.

Level of Evidence: 1

Technical Efficacy: Stage 2

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;48:1690–1699