Table 1.

Reproducibility measured by the root mean square coefficients of variation for quantification of metabolites using HR-MAS for n=4 in 2 trials, and the range of spatial variability for 4 pairs of cartilage punches taken from adjacent locations in the condyles expressed in terms of % coefficient of variation.

Metabolite	Lactate (1.33 ppm)	Lactate methyne (4.12 ppm)	Alanine (1.47 ppm)	N-acetyl (2.04 ppm)	Choline (3.21 – 3.25 ppm)	Glycine (3.55 ppm)
Reproducibility (RMS CV %)	9.8	17.3	2.0	4.5	9.2	6.0
Range of Spatial variability (CV %)	1-38	0-12	13-33	2-5	3-13	0-16