Longitudinal follow-up of knee osteoarthritis progression using MR imaging.Outcomes of two years study

Overview

Introduction.
Magnetic resonance (MR) facilitates direct visualization of joint structures, especiallyof the hyaline articular cartilage. It has been proposed as a method for evaluation of osteoarthritisprogression. We followed knee joint MR images and their subsequent progression in this study.Methods. Twenty-four patients and their knee joint MR images were followed in this prospective,longitudinal study using sagital slices in T1 weighted images in 3D gradient sequences with fatsuppression. The volume of the articular cartilage in medial and lateral compartments of the jointwas measured.MRosteoarthritic changes were evaluated – lesions of menisci, presence of synovitis,increase of synovial fluid, hyperaemia/edema of subchondral bone, and cartilage defects. Examinationwas performed at the baseline of the study and after 2 years. Results. The volume of articularcartilage was significantly lower in medialcompartment (1.653 ± 0.415 ml vs. 2.368 ± 0.378 ml, p

Key words:
osteoarthritis of the knee, progression of osteoarthritis, magnetic resonance