CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MRI ASSESSMENT CAPABILITIES AT OSTEOARTHRITIS KNEE JOINT

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an increasingly important imaging modality in osteoarthritis (OA) research and is widely used in ongoing efforts to understand the pathogenesis of OA and develop structural and disease-modifying drugs for OA. MRI offers semiquantitative, quantitative, and compositional assessment of knee OA and can visualize tissues that are not visible on radiography, including but not limited to cartilage, menisci, bone marrow lesions, synovitis, and muscle. It is now recognized that contrast-enhanced MRI is more accurate in assessing synovitis than non-contrast MRI. Due to its ability to visualize multiple tissue pathologies associated with pain in three dimensions, MRI is the best imaging modality for OA.