Search

BackgroundOpioids are frequently prescribed for pain control in knee osteoarthritis patients, despite recommendations by current guidelines. Previous studies have investigated the chondrotoxicity of different opioid subtypes. However, the impact opioids may have on progression of osteoarthritis in vivo remains unknown. The aim of this study was thus to describe the associations between opioid use and knee structural changes and clinical outcomes, over 4 years.MethodsParticipants with baseline opioid use (n=181) and who continued use for ≥1 year between baseline and 4-year follow-up (n=79) were included from the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort and frequency matched with non-users (controls) (1:2). Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scores (WORMS) were obtained, including a total summation score (WORMS total, range 0-96) and subscores for cartilage (0-36), menisci (0-24), and bone marrow abnormalities and subchondral cyst-like lesions (0-18, respectively). Knee Injury Osteoarthritis Outcomes score (KOOS) symptoms, quality of life (QOL), and pain were also obtained at baseline and follow-up (range 0-100; lower scores indicate worse outcomes). Using linear regression models, associations between baseline and longitudinal findings were investigated. As pain may modify observations, a sensitivity analysis was performed for longitudinal findings. All analyses were adjusted for sex, BMI, age, race, and Kellgren-Lawrence grade.ResultsOpioid users had greater structural degeneration at baseline (WORMS total: Coef. [95% CI], P; 7.1 [5.5, 8.8],

BackgroundAdipose tissue has recently gained interest as an independent imaging biomarker for osteoarthritis.PurposeTo explore 1) cross-sectional associations between local subcutaneous fat (SCF) thickness at the knee and the extent of degenerative changes in overweight and obese individuals and 2) associations between local fat distribution and progression of osteoarthritis over 4 years.Study typeRetrospective cohort study.Population338 obese and overweight participants from the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort without radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis.Field strength3T: 3D-FLASH-WE; 3D-DESS-WE; T1w-SE; MSME.AssessmentBaseline SCF thickness was measured in standardized locations medial, lateral and anterior to the knee and the average joint-adjacent SCF (ajSCF) was calculated. Right thigh SCF cross-sectional area was assessed. Quantitative cartilage T2 relaxation times and semi-quantitative whole organ MRI scores (WORMS) were obtained at baseline and 4-year follow-up. WORMSsum was calculated as sum of cartilage, bone marrow edema, subchondral cyst, and meniscal scores.Statistical testsAssociations of SCF measures with baseline, and 4-year change in T2 and WORMS were analyzed using regression models. SCF measurements were standardized using the equation ValueParticipant-MeanCohortStandard deviation . Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, physical activity, and BMI.ResultsCross-sectionally, significant associations between lateral SCF, lateral compartment WORMS and T2 were found ( ΔWORMSsum1SDchange in lateralSCF , [95% CI]: 0.53, [0.12-0.95], P

ObjectiveThis work aims to study (i) the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and knee synovial inflammation using non-contrast-enhanced MRI and (ii) the association of synovial inflammation versus degenerative abnormalities and pain.Materials and methodsSubjects with risk for and mild to moderate radiographic osteoarthritis were selected from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Subjects were grouped into three BMI categories with 87 subjects per group: normal weight (BMI, 20-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (BMI, 25-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (BMI, ≥ 30 kg/m2), frequency matched for age, sex, race, Kellgren-Lawrence grade, and history of knee surgery and injury. Semi-quantitative synovial inflammation imaging biomarkers were obtained including effusion-synovitis, size and intensity of infrapatellar fat pad signal abnormality, and synovial proliferation score. Cartilage composition was measured using T2 relaxation time and structural abnormalities using the whole-organ magnetic resonance imaging score (WORMS). The Western Ontario and McMasters (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index was used for pain assessment. Intra- and inter-reader reproducibility was assessed by kappa values.ResultsOverweight and obese groups had higher prevalence and severity of all synovial inflammatory markers (p ≤ 0.03). Positive associations were found between synovial inflammation imaging biomarkers and average T2 values, WORMS maximum scores and total WOMAC pain scores (p

In clinical practice, diagnosis of suspected carious lesions is verified by using conventional dental radiography (DR), including panoramic radiography (OPT), bitewing imaging, and dental X-ray. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for caries visualization. Fourteen patients with clinically suspected carious lesions, verified by standardized dental examination including DR and OPT, were imaged with 3D isotropic T2-weighted STIR (short tau inversion recovery) and T1 FFE Black bone sequences. Intensities of dental caries, hard tissue and pulp were measured and calculated as aSNR (apparent signal to noise ratio) and aHTMCNR (apparent hard tissue to muscle contrast to noise ratio) in both sequences. Imaging findings were then correlated to clinical examination results. In STIR as well as in T1 FFE black bone images, aSNR and aHTMCNR was significantly higher in carious lesions than in healthy hard tissue (p < 0.001). Using water-sensitive STIR sequence allowed for detecting significantly lower aSNR and aHTMCNR in carious teeth compared to healthy teeth (p = 0.01). The use of MRI for the detection of caries is a promising imaging technique that may complement clinical exams and traditional imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To assess the feasibility and diagnostic value of compressed sensing for accelerating two-dimensional turbo spin echo imaging of the ankle.Materials and Methods: Ankles of 20 volunteers were scanned (mean age 30.2 ± 7.3 years, 13 men) at 3 T MRI. Coronal and sagittal intermediate-weighted (IM) sequences with fat saturation as well as axial T2- and coronal T1-weighted sequences were acquired using parallel imaging based on sensitivity encoding (SENSE) only as well as with a combination of compressed sensing (CS) and SENSE. Compressed sensing is a technique that acquires less data through k-space random undersampling and enables a reduction in total acquisition time by 20%. All images were reviewed by two radiologists, image quality was graded using a 5-point Likert scale and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of different anatomical structures of the ankle were assessed and compared between sequences with SENSE only and with the combination of CS and SENSE using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and Cohen's kappa.Results: There was a substantial to perfect agreement for the rating between the images acquired with SENSE only and with the combination of CS and SENSE when assessing cartilage, subchondral bone and ligaments (κ = 0.75 - 0.89). SNR was slightly higher for the combination of CS and SENSE sequences compared to the sequences acquired with SENSE only, yet this finding was not significant (P = 0.18-0.62). Moreover, CNR of cartilage/fluid, subchondral bone/cartilage, ligaments/fluid and ligaments/fat did not show significant differences between the sequences acquired with SENSE only and the combination of CS and SENSE (P > 0.05). The interreader agreement was substantial to excellent for both techniques (κ=0.75 - 0.89).Conclusions: Compressed sensing reduced the acquisition time of conventional MR imaging of the ankle by 20% without decreasing diagnostic image quality, SNR and CNR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]