T2 mapping in patellar chondromalacia

Atlas-Based Segmentation in Extraction of Knee Joint Bone Structures from CT and MR

The main goal of the approach proposed in this study, which is dedicated to the extraction of bone structures of the knee joint (femoral head, tibia, and patella), was to show a fully automated method of extracting these structures based on atlas segmentation. In order to realize the above-mentioned goal, an algorithm employed automated image-matching as the first step, followed by the normalization of clinical images and the determination of the 11-element dataset to which all scans in the series were allocated. This allowed for a delineation of the average feature vector for the teaching group in the next step, which automated and streamlined known fuzzy segmentation methods (fuzzy c-means (FCM), fuzzy connectedness (FC)). These averaged features were then transmitted to the FCM and FC methods, which were implemented for the testing group and correspondingly for each scan. In this approach, two features are important: the centroids (which become starting points for the fuzzy methods) and the surface area of the extracted bone structure (protects against over-segmentation). This proposed approach was implemented in MATLAB and tested in 61 clinical CT studies of the lower limb on the transverse plane and in 107 T1-weighted MRI studies of the knee joint on the sagittal plane. The atlas-based segmentation combined with the fuzzy methods achieved a Dice index of 85.52-89.48% for the bone structures of the knee joint.

Is There a Biomechanical Link Between Patellofemoral Pain and Osteoarthritis? A Narrative Review

The patellofemoral (PF) joint is the knee compartment most commonly affected by osteoarthritis (OA). Even mild PF OA is associated with considerable pain and functional limitations. Despite its prevalence and impact, little is understood of the etiology or structural and functional features of PF OA. The clinical symptoms of PF OA, such as anterior knee pain during stair ambulation and squatting, share many similarities with PF pain in adolescents and young adults. PF joint OA is most commonly diagnosed in people aged >40 years, many of whom report a history of PF pain. As such, there is growing evidence that PF pain and PF OA form a continuum of disease. This review explores the possible relationship between the presence of PF pain and the development of PF OA. We review the evidence for altered neuromotor control and biomechanical factors that may be associated with altered PF loading in people with PF pain and PF OA. In doing so, we highlight similarities and differences that may evolve along the continuum. By improving our understanding of the neuromotor and biomechanical links between PF pain and PF OA, we may highlight potential targets for new rehabilitation strategies.

Assessment of the patellofemoral cartilage: Correlation of knee pain score with magnetic resonance cartilage grading and magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry of glycosaminoglycan chemical exchange saturation transfer

PURPOSE

Biochemical imaging of glycosaminoglycan chemical exchange saturation transfer (gagCEST) could predict the depletion of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in early osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTR_asym) of gagCEST images and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores in the knee joint.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board. A phantom study was performed using hyaluronic acid to validate the MTR_asym values of gagCEST images. Knee magnetic resonance (MR) images of 22 patients (male, 9; female, 13; mean age, 50.3years; age range; 25-79years) with knee pain were included in this study. The MR imaging (MRI) protocol involved standard knee MRI as well as gagCEST imaging, which allowed region-of-interest analyses of the patellar facet and femoral trochlea. The MTR_asym at 1.0ppm was calculated at each region. The cartilages of the patellar facets and femoral trochlea were graded according to the Outerbridge classification system. Data regarding the VAS scores of knee pain were collected from the electronic medical records of the patients. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman's correlation.

RESULTS

The results of the phantom study revealed excellent correlation between the MTR_asym values and the concentration of GAGs (r=0.961; p=0.003). The cartilage grades on the MR images showed significant negative correlation with the MTR_asym values in the patellar facet and femoral trochlea (r=-0.460; p=0.031 and r=-0.543; p=0.009, respectively). The VAS pain scores showed significant negative correlation with the MTR_asym values in the patellar facet and femoral trochlea (r=-0.435; p=0.043 and r=-0.671; p=0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The pain scores were associated with the morphological and biochemical changes in articular cartilages visualized on knee MR images. The biochemical changes, visualized in terms of the MTR_asym values of the gagCEST images, exhibited greater correlation with the pain scores than the morphological changes visualized on conventional MR images; these results provide evidence supporting the theory regarding the association of patellofemoral osteoarthritis with knee pain scores.