title: Texture analysis of articular cartilage traumatic changes in the knee calculated from morphological 3.0T MR imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the present work, we aim to identify changes in the cartilage texture of the injured knee in young, physically active, patients by computer analysis of MRI images based on 3.0T morphological sequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three young patients with training injury or trauma in one knee underwent MRI and arthroscopy. Textural features were computed from the MRI images of the knee-cartilages and two classes were formed of 28 normal and 16 with pathology only in the medial femoral condyle (MFC) cartilage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Textural features with statistically significant differences between the two classes were found only at the MFC and the medial tibial condyle (MTC) areas. Three features-combinations, at the MFC or the MTC, maximized the between classes separation, thus, rendering alterations in cartilage texture due to injury more evident. The MFC cartilage in the pathology class was found more inhomogeneous in the distribution of gray-levels and of lower texture anisotropy and the opposed MTC cartilage, though normal on MRI and arthroscopy, was found to have lower texture anisotropy than cartilage in the normal class.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Texture analysis may be used as an adjunct to morphological MR imaging for improving the detection of subtle cartilage changes and contributes to early therapeutic approach.
authors: Department of Medical Radiologic Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Ag.Spyridonos, Egaleo, Athens 12210, Greece.
authors: Konstantina
authors: K
authors: Boutsikou
authors: Spiros
authors: S
authors: Kostopoulos
authors: Dimitris
authors: D
authors: Glotsos
authors: Dionisis
authors: D
authors: Cavouras
authors: Eleftherios
authors: E
authors: Lavdas
authors: Georgia
authors: G
authors: Oikonomou
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Malizos
authors: Ioannis V
authors: IV
authors: Fezoulidis
authors: Marianna
authors: M
authors: Vlychou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D050724:Fractures, Cartilage / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult