Concurrent Assessment of Knee Cartilage Morphology and Bone Microarchitecture Using Contrast-Enhanced HR-PQCT Imaging

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent articular disease characterized by degradation of articular cartilage and bone. Presently, no single imaging modality concurrently captures these changes. This study sought to develop and validate a novel joint imaging technique, contrast enhanced high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (CEHR-pQCT), to concurrently assess bone microarchitecture and cartilage morphology. Cadaveric knees were harvested (n=10) and scanned using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), HR-pQCT without contrast, and HRpQCT following intra-articular injection of non-ionic contrast media. Joints were disarticulated, and the articular cartilage thickness measured by needle probe. Measures of cartilage morphology were found to be significantly different between MRI, needle probing and CEHRpQCT. Bone microarchitecture was found to be significantly different in CEHR-pQCT, where cortical bone mineral density (BMD) was depressed, and trabecular BMD increased. This study contributes toward the advancement of whole joint imaging techniques, laying the foundation to perform in vivo scanning of knee cartilage and bone.

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Year

Entry

2004

Barrett JF, Keat N. Artifacts in CT: recognition and avoidance. RadioGraphics. November–December 2004;24(6):1679-1691.

2007

MacNeil JA, Boyd SK. Accuracy of high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography for measurement of bone quality. Med Eng Phys. December 2007;29(10):1096-1105.

1984

Brown TD, Vrahas MS. The apparent elastic modulus of the juxtarticular subchondral bone of the femoral head. J Orthop Res. 1984;2(1):32-38.

2002

Wehrli F, Saha P, Gomberg B, Song H, Snyder P, Benito M, Wright A, Weening R. Role of magnetic resonance for assessing structure and function of trabecular bone. Top Magn Reson Imaging. October 2002;13(5):335-355.

1993

Mow VC, Ateshian GA, Spilker RL. Biomechanics of diarthrodial joints: a review of twenty years of progress. J Biomech Eng. November 1993;115(4B):460-467.