title: The relationship between subchondral sclerosis detected with MRI and cartilage loss in a cohort of subjects with knee pain: the knee osteoarthritis progression (KOAP) study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between subchondral sclerosis detected at baseline with MRI and cartilage loss over time in the same region of the knee in a cohort of subjects with knee pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  163 subjects with knee pain participated in a longitudinal study to assess knee osteoarthritis progression (KOAP). Subjects received baseline knee radiographs as well as baseline and 3-year follow-up MRI examinations. Baseline subchondral sclerosis and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) were scored semiquantitatively on MRI in each region from 0 to 3. Cartilage morphology at baseline and follow-up was scored semiquantitatively from 0 to 4. The association between baseline subchondral sclerosis and cartilage loss in the same region of the knee was evaluated using logistic regression, adjusting the results for age, gender, body mass index, and the presence of concomitant BMLs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of subchondral sclerosis detected by MRI in the regions of the knee varied between 1.6% (trochlea) and 17% (medial tibia). The occurrence of cartilage loss over time in regions varied between 6% (lateral tibia) and 13.1% (medial femur). The prevalence of radiographically-detected subchondral sclerosis in compartments varied from 2.9% (patellofemoral) to 14.2% (medial tibiofemoral). In logistic regression models, there were no significant associations between baseline subchondral sclerosis detected by MRI and cartilage loss in the same region of the knee.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baseline subchondral sclerosis as detected by MRI did not increase the risk of cartilage loss over time.
authors: Department of Radiology, Quantitative Imaging Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Hospital do Coração (HCor) and Teleimagem, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: michelcrema@gmail.com.
authors: M D
authors: MD
authors: Crema
authors: Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, Richmond, BC, Canada.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Cibere
authors: Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, Richmond, BC, Canada.
authors: E C
authors: EC
authors: Sayre
authors: Department of Radiology, Quantitative Imaging Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors: F W
authors: FW
authors: Roemer
authors: Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, Richmond, BC, Canada; School of Population of Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Wong
authors: School of Population of Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Thorne
authors: School of Population of Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Singer
authors: Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Esdaile
authors: Department of Radiology, Quantitative Imaging Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: M D
authors: MD
authors: Marra
authors: Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Kopec
authors: Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Nicolaou
authors: Department of Radiology, Quantitative Imaging Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Guermazi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000473:pathology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012598:Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Cartilage; Knee; Magnetic resonance imaging; Osteoarthritis; Subchondral bone