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Background: Diagnosing knee osteoarthritis (KOA) often relies on limited routine methods. This study investigates the efficacy of T2 mapping and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) values in MRI for enhanced assessment of cartilage damage in KOA, focusing on their correlation with pain severity. Materials and Methods: A total of 52 KOA patients (74 knee joints) and 50 healthy individuals (100 knee joints) were assessed from May 2022 to June 2023. Both groups underwent MRI with Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) sequence and T2 mapping to analyze ADC and T2 mapping values across femoral condyle, tibial plateau, and patellar joint surfaces, and their correlation with pain levels. Results: The KOA group showed significantly higher ADC and T2 mapping values in all examined areas compared to the control group (P<0.05). These values were also higher in advanced stages of cartilage degeneration and correlated positively with increased pain scores (P<0.05). Conclusion: MRI utilizing DWI and T2 mapping provides a quantitative reflection of knee joint cartilage degeneration in KOA. These methods show a positive correlation with pain severity, suggesting their potential for more accurate KOA diagnostics and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]