Osteoarthritis in the knee. Cartilage MR imaging

Abstract

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a chronic progressive joint disease

leading to pain and loss of function in a considerable proportion of

patients with great impact and consequences in the ageing population of

the industrialized world. Clinical symptoms and radiographs of the knee are normally used to monitor osteoarthritic changes in the knee. However, the correlation between radiographic osteoarthritic findings and clinical features is poor. Does MR imaging of the knee tell us more about the relation between osteoarthritic structural findings and clinical features? According to the present thesis, the answer is “No”. Most of the data presented in this thesis is based on a 1.5T longitudinal MR study called the “Genetica, Artrose & Progressie” (GARP) study. In the GARP study MR imaging findings were associated with clinical features of patients with OA, and it was concluded that there were no strong associations between the most important OA imaging findings and clinical features of patients with OA. These controversial findings are important findings with regards to future clinical trials, as it urges conservatism with regards to the idea of BME being an outcome measure for progression of the disease. Therefore, the current theses also strongly recommend a further quest to identify ideal parameters to quantify the progression of the disease.