title: What is the predictive value of MRI for the occurrence of knee replacement surgery in knee osteoarthritis?
abstract: Knee osteoarthritis is associated with structural changes in the joint. Despite its many drawbacks, radiography is the current standard for evaluating joint structure in trials of potential disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs. MRI is a non-invasive alternative that provides comprehensive imaging of the whole joint. Frequently used MRI measurements in knee osteoarthritis are cartilage volume and thickness; others include synovitis, synovial fluid effusions, bone marrow lesions (BML) and meniscal damage. Joint replacement is considered a clinically relevant outcome in knee osteoarthritis; however, its utility in clinical trials is limited. An alternative is virtual knee replacement on the basis of symptoms and structural damage. MRI may prove to be a good alternative to radiography in definitions of knee replacement. One of the MRI parameters that predicts knee replacement is medial compartment cartilage volume/thickness, which correlates with radiographic joint space width, is sensitive to change, and predicts outcomes in a continuous manner. Other MRI parameters include BML and meniscal lesions. MRI appears to be a viable alternative to radiography for the evaluation of structural changes in knee osteoarthritis and prediction of joint replacement.
authors.affiliation: Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Notre-Dame Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. dr@jppelletier.ca
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peterfy
authors.forename: J-Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Reginster
authors.forename: M-L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brandi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bruyère
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chapurlat
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cicuttini
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Conaghan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Genant
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giacovelli
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hochberg
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kanis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kloppenburg
authors.forename: J-D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Laredo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McAlindon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nevitt
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Raynauld
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzoli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zilkens
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Roemer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martel-Pelletier
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guermazi
mesh_terms: D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013585:Synovitis / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Knee Osteoarthritis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Outcomes research