title: Optical coherence tomography enables accurate measurement of equine cartilage thickness for determination of speed of sound.
abstract: Background and purpose - Arthroscopic estimation of articular cartilage thickness is important for scoring of lesion severity, and measurement of cartilage speed of sound (SOS)-a sensitive index of changes in cartilage composition. We investigated the accuracy of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in measurements of cartilage thickness and determined SOS by combining OCT thickness and ultrasound (US) time-of-flight (TOF) measurements. Material and methods - Cartilage thickness measurements from OCT and microscopy images of 94 equine osteochondral samples were compared. Then, SOS in cartilage was determined using simultaneous OCT thickness and US TOF measurements. SOS was then compared with the compositional, structural, and mechanical properties of cartilage. Results - Measurements of non-calcified cartilage thickness using OCT and microscopy were significantly correlated (ρ = 0.92; p < 0.001). With calcified cartilage included, the correlation was ρ = 0.85 (p < 0.001). The mean cartilage SOS (1,636 m/s) was in agreement with the literature. However, SOS and the other properties of cartilage lacked any statistically significant correlation. Interpretation - OCT can give an accurate measurement of articular cartilage thickness. Although SOS measurements lacked accuracy in thin equine cartilage, the concept of SOS measurement using OCT appears promising.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Applied Physics , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio ;|b Department of Clinical Neurophysiology , Kuopio University Hospital , Kuopio , Finland ;
authors.forename: Pia H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Puhakka
authors.affiliation: c Department of Equine Sciences , Utrecht University , Utrecht , the Netherlands ;
authors.forename: Nikae C R
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Te Moller
authors.affiliation: a Department of Applied Physics , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio ;
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tanska
authors.affiliation: a Department of Applied Physics , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio ;|d Department of Medical Technology , Institute of Biomedicine, University of Oulu , Oulu ;|e Department of Diagnostic Radiology , Oulu University Hospital , Oulu ;
authors.forename: Simo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saarakkala
authors.affiliation: f School of Medicine , Institute of Biomedicine, Anatomy, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio ;
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tiitu
authors.affiliation: a Department of Applied Physics , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio ;
authors.forename: Rami K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.affiliation: c Department of Equine Sciences , Utrecht University , Utrecht , the Netherlands ;
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brommer
authors.affiliation: g Cancer Center , Kuopio University Hospital , Kuopio , Finland.
authors.forename: Tuomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Virén
authors.affiliation: a Department of Applied Physics , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio ;
authors.forename: Jukka S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jurvelin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Applied Physics , University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio ;|b Department of Clinical Neurophysiology , Kuopio University Hospital , Kuopio , Finland ;
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Töyräs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006736:Horses; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*