Quantitative imaging of the structural changes of osteoarthritis: An exciting challenge for the new millennium

Conclusions

The progression of structural changes, including cartilage degradation in knee OA, over time is an extremely important parameter that must not be overlooked in the study of therapeutic interventions for this disease. Existing radiologic methods used to evaluate the disease progression are useful and allow for several clinical trials to take place. However, these methods are imperfect and time consuming. A faster and more accurate method to evaluate the efficacy of various medications on the progression of OA is required. Current tools lack sensitivity to change over short periods of observation (plain and standardized radiographs) or are invasive (arthroscopy). Due to its greater sensitivity to change, evaluation by MRI is promising and appears to surpass the other available technologies in measuring the structural changes of knee OA, including the gradual loss of cartilage. The development of the new software tool will allow for the MRI technology to provide quantitative measurement, and the evaluation of the efficacy of new therapeutic interventions in a more accurate and rapid fashion, dramatically changing the way knee OA clinical trials are conducted. Studies will be performed in a time-wise fashion, allowing for the testing of a larger number of molecules having the potential to retard or stop progression of the disease.