Association of magnetic resonance imaging-based knee cartilage T2 measurements and focal knee lesions with knee pain: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based knee cartilage T2 measurements and focal knee lesions with knee pain in knees without radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) among subjects with OA risk factors.


METHODS
We studied the right knees of 126 subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database. We randomly selected 42 subjects ages 45-55 years with OA risk factors, right knee pain (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC] pain score ≥5), no left knee pain (WOMAC pain score 0), and no radiographic OA (Kellgren/Lawrence [K/L] score ≤1) in the right knee. We also selected 2 comparison groups: 42 subjects without knee pain in either knee and 42 with bilateral knee pain. Both groups were frequency matched to subjects with right knee pain only by sex, age, body mass index, and K/L score. All of the subjects underwent 3T MRI of the right knee. Focal knee lesions were assessed and cartilage T2 measurements were performed.


RESULTS
Prevalences of meniscal, bone marrow, and ligamentous lesions and joint effusion were not significantly different between the groups (P > 0.05), while cartilage lesions were more frequent in subjects with right knee pain only compared to subjects without knee pain (P < 0.05). T2 values averaged over all of the compartments were similar in subjects with right knee pain only (mean ± SD 34.4 ± 1.8 msec) and in subjects with bilateral knee pain (mean ± SD 34.7 ± 4.7 msec), but were significantly higher compared to subjects without knee pain (mean ± SD 32.4 ± 1.8 msec; P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that elevated cartilage T2 values are associated with findings of pain in the early phase of OA, whereas among morphologic knee abnormalities only knee cartilage lesions are significantly associated with knee pain status.
Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. thbaum@gmx.de
Thomas
T
Baum
Gabby B
GB
Joseph
Ahilan
A
Arulanandan
Lorenzo
L
Nardo
Warapat
W
Virayavanich
Julio
J
Carballido-Gamio
Michael C
MC
Nevitt
John
J
Lynch
Charles E
CE
McCulloch
Thomas M
TM
Link
D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011859:Radiography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index