KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

KENIA RODRIGUEZ

MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY

RADS 4733-X31

RODNEY FISHER

JULY 10, 2017 1

Knee Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease cause by general wear and tear of the affected area. Knee osteoarthritis is
very common in older individuals and also individuals with overweight. People with osteoarthritis suffer
through significant pain, disability and poor quality of life. Typically, patients with advanced
osteoarthritis have to have a total knee replacement since this disease ha no cure. (Wyndow, Crossley,
Vicenzino, Tucker, & Collins, 2017)

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Diagnostic Procedures
For MRI and CT the patient should be in supine position and the fluoroscopic tube over the knee
The patella should be identified by using palpitation
Patient should relax the quadriceps and sublux the patella laterally
Anesthetize skin
Add contrast (MRI- 40 cc of standard MR dilute gadolinum solution; CT- 40cc of Omnipque 300)
Take MRI or CT
Retrieved from: Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention Section | Imaging Procedures. (n.d.).
https://www.radiology.wisc.edu/sections/msk/interventional/Knee_CT_arthrogram/index.php

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CT Comparison
Femur
Femur

Subchondral
bone
Tibia Tibia

Figure 1. Coronal CT images (a) Normal subchondral bone (b) Abnormal subchondral bone
(Bousson, Lowitz, Laouisset, Englelke, & Laredo, 2012).
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MRI Comparison
Vastus
medialis Femur
muscle

Tibia
Femur

Tibia

Gastrocnemius
muscle Figure 2. Sagittal Abnormal MRI.
Sagittal view. Showing cartilage loss in
weight bearing areas gradually getting
Figure 1. Normal MRI (Retrieved thinner overtime (Alizai, H., Roemer, F.
from: http://www.w- W., Hayashi, D., Crema, M. D., Felson, 5
radiology.com/knee-mri.php). D. T., & Guermazi, A., 2014).
Conclusion
Overall, MRI is the imaging choice that is more reliable because of its sensitivity in imaging articular
cartilage and lesions located in the bone marrow (Bousson et al., 2012).However according to Bousson,
Lowitz, Laouisset, Engelke, and Laredo (2012), CT images nicely show osseous cardinal signs of
advanced osteoarthritis such as osteophytes, subchondral cysts, and subchondral bone bone sclerosis.
Meaning that CT can aid an MRI in imaging of the subchondral bone and help with the measurement of
density and structure of the bone.

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 References
Alizai, H., Roemer, F. W., Hayashi, D., Crema, M. D., Felson, D. T., & Guermazi, A. (2014). An update on risk factors for cartilage loss in knee

osteoarthritis assessed using MRI-based semiquantitative grading methods. European Radiology, 25(3), 883-893. doi:10.1007/s00330-014-3464-

Atlas of Knee MRI Anatomy. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2017, from http://www.w-radiology.com/knee-mri.php

Bousson, V., Lowitz, T., Laouisset, L., Engelke, K., & Laredo, J. D. (2012). CT imaging for the investigation of subchondral bone in knee osteoarthritis.

Osteoporosis International, 23(8), 861-865. doi:110.1007/s00198-012-2169-5

Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention Section | Imaging Procedures. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2017, from

https://www.radiology.wisc.edu/sections/msk/interventional/Knee_CT_arthrogram/index.php

Wyndow, N., Crossley, K. M., Vicenzino, B., Tucker, K., & Collins, N. J. (2017) A single-blinded, randomized, parallel group superiority trial

investigating the effects of footwear and custom foot orthoses versus footwear alone in individuals with patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis: a

phase II pilot trial protocol. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 10(1), 1-13. doi: 10.1186/s13047-017-0200-y 7