Early tibial subchondral bone texture changes after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in knees without radiographic OA: A prospective cohort study

Bone Data Lake: A storage platform for bone texture analysis

Trabecular bone (TB) texture regions selected on hand and knee X-ray images can be used to detect and predict osteoarthritis (OA). However, the analysis has been impeded by increasing data volume and diversification of data formats. To address this problem, a novel storage platform, called Bone Data Lake (BDL) is proposed for the collection and retention of large numbers of images, TB texture regions and parameters, regardless of their structure, size and source. BDL consists of three components, i.e.: a raw data storage, a processed data storage, and a data reference system. The performance of the BDL was evaluated using 20,000 knee and hand X-ray images of various formats (DICOM, PNG, JPEG, BMP, and compressed TIFF) and sizes (from 0.3 to 66.7 MB). The images were uploaded into BDL and automatically converted into a standardized 8-bit grayscale uncompressed TIFF format. TB regions of interest were then selected on the standardized images, and a data catalog containing metadata information about the regions was constructed. Next, TB texture parameters were calculated for the regions using Variance Orientation Transform (VOT) and Augmented VOT (AVOT) methods and stored in XLSX files. The files were uploaded into BDL, and then transformed into CSV files and cataloged. Results showed that the BDL efficiently transforms images and catalogs bone regions and texture parameters. BDL can serve as the foundation of a reliable, secure and collaborative system for OA detection and prediction based on radiographs and TB texture.

Osteoarthritis year in review 2021: imaging

PURPOSE

To provide a narrative review of original articles on imaging of osteoarthritis (OA) published between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, with a special focus on imaging of inflammation, imaging of bone, cartilage and bone-cartilage interactions, imaging of peri-articular tissues, imaging scoring methods for OA, and artificial intelligence (AI) applied to OA imaging.

METHODS

The Embase, Pubmed, Medline, Cochrane databases were searched for original research articles in the English language on human, in vivo, imaging of OA published between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. Search terms related to osteoarthritis combined with all imaging modalities and artificial intelligence were applied. A selection of articles reporting on one of the focus topics was discussed further.

RESULTS

The search resulted in 651 articles, of which 214 were deemed relevant to human OA imaging. Among the articles included, the knee joint (69%) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (52%) were the predominant anatomical area and imaging modality studied. There were also a substantial number of papers (n = 46) reporting on AI applications in the field of OA imaging.

CONCLUSION

Imaging continues to play an important role in the assessment of OA. Recent advances in OA imaging include quantitative, non-contrast, and hybrid imaging techniques for improved characterization of multiple tissue processes in OA. In addition, an increasing effort in AI techniques is undertaken to enhance OA imaging acquisition and analysis.

Trabecular bone texture analysis of conventional radiographs in the assessment of knee osteoarthritis: review and viewpoint

BACKGROUND

Trabecular bone texture analysis (TBTA) has been identified as an imaging biomarker that provides information on trabecular bone changes due to knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Consequently, it is important to conduct a comprehensive review that would permit a better understanding of this unfamiliar image analysis technique in the area of KOA research. We examined how TBTA, conducted on knee radiographs, is associated to (i) KOA incidence and progression, (ii) total knee arthroplasty, and (iii) KOA treatment responses. The primary aims of this study are twofold: to provide (i) a narrative review of the studies conducted on radiographic KOA using TBTA, and (ii) a viewpoint on future research priorities.

METHOD

Literature searches were performed in the PubMed electronic database. Studies published between June 1991 and March 2020 and related to traditional and fractal image analysis of trabecular bone texture (TBT) on knee radiographs were identified.

RESULTS

The search resulted in 219 papers. After title and abstract scanning, 39 studies were found eligible and then classified in accordance to six criteria: cross-sectional evaluation of osteoarthritis and non-osteoarthritis knees, understanding of bone microarchitecture, prediction of KOA progression, KOA incidence, and total knee arthroplasty and association with treatment response. Numerous studies have reported the relevance of TBTA as a potential bioimaging marker in the prediction of KOA incidence and progression. However, only a few studies have focused on the association of TBTA with both OA treatment responses and the prediction of knee joint replacement.

CONCLUSION

Clear evidence of biological plausibility for TBTA in KOA is already established. The review confirms the consistent association between TBT and important KOA endpoints such as KOA radiographic incidence and progression. TBTA could provide markers for enrichment of clinical trials enhancing the screening of KOA progressors. Major advances were made towards a fully automated assessment of KOA.