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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Quantitative evaluation of subchondral bone microarchitecture in knee osteoarthritis using 3T MRI

Authors: Chenglei Liu, Chang Liu, Xvhua Ren, Liping Si, Hao Shen, Qian Wang, Weiwu Yao

Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is now increasingly recognized as being related to the whole joint instead of the cartilage alone. In particular, the importance of subchondral bone in OA pathogenesis has drawn a lot of interest. The aim of this study is to investigate subchondral bone microstructural features in two femoral condyles of human knee osteoarthritis.

Methods

Eighty subjects were enrolled in our study and divided into three groups: without OA (group 0), mild OA (group 1), and severe OA (group 2). Sagittal 3D Balanced Fast Field Echo (3D–FFE) images were obtained by 3T MRI to quantify trabecular bone structure, and sagittal FatSat 3D Fast Field Echo (3D–FFE) images were acquired to assess cartilage thickness. Trabecular bone parameters, including bone volume fraction (BVF), erosion index (EI) and the trabecular plate-to-rod ratio (SCR), and trabecular thickness were evaluated using digital topological analysis. Subchondral bone and cartilage parameters between different groups and different locations were compared, and their correlations were analyzed.

Results

Within two femoral condyles, subchondral bone structure was deteriorated in mild OA, showing a lower BVF (−0.011 to −0.014 P < 0.001), a higher EI (0.346 to 0.310 P < 0.001), a lower SCR (−0.581 to −0.542 P < 0.001)) and lower trabecular thickness (−6.588 to −4.759 P < 0.05). In severe OA, BVF was further decreased, but EI, SCR and trabecular thickness showed no significant difference than mild OA(P > 0.05). Moreover, there was a lower BVF, SCR and higher EI in the medial femoral condyle in each group. Interestingly, cartilage attrition mainly occurred in the medial femoral condyle. Medial cartilage thickness was not only positively correlated with the ipsilateral femoral BVF (r = 0.321 P = 0.004) but also with the opposite femoral BVF (r = 0.270 P = 0.015).

Conclusions

Our results indicated that deterioration in the trabecular bone structure in both femoral condyles could more sensitively reveal early OA, and BVF could be a better biomarker to evaluate OA severity.
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Metadata
Title
Quantitative evaluation of subchondral bone microarchitecture in knee osteoarthritis using 3T MRI
Authors
Chenglei Liu
Chang Liu
Xvhua Ren
Liping Si
Hao Shen
Qian Wang
Weiwu Yao
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2474
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-017-1865-x

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