To evaluate lesion detection of MRI in knee joint osteoarthritis in patients with symptoms of pain, the correlation between MRI findings and varying degrees of reported pain was assessed. Twenty-eight patients (31 knees) with osteoarthritis were recruited for this study. The degree of knee pain was assessed by VRS scores. The knees were evaluated by plain film radiograph utilizing Kellgren-Lawrence scores. Multiple MR sequences were performed on a 1.5T MR-system, including sagittal and coronal dual fast spin echo (TR/TE 3660/11/120 ms, slice thickness 5 mm), coronal spin echo T1-weighted (TR/TE 360/9 ms, slice thickness 5 mm), sagittal fat saturated 3D-spoiled gradient-recalled echo (TR/TE 50/6 ms; slice thickness 1.5 mm; flip angle 40 degrees ), and 3D steady-state free precession (TR/TE 6/2.2 ms; slice thickness 1.6 mm; flip angle 30 degrees ) pulse sequences for the purpose of detecting abnormities of cartilage, menisci, the anterior cruciate ligaments, bone marrow edema-like lesions, osteophytes, synovitis, and joint effusions. MR findings were compared with the degree of pain using Fisher exact test with P values less than 0.05 indicating a statistically significant difference. The results showed that, of the 31 knees evaluated, mild pain was reported in 11 and severe pain in the remainder. Kellgren-Lawrence scores of all 31 evaluated OA knees were as follows: grade 1 lesions (n=6), grade 2 lesions (n=14), grade 3 lesions (n=8), and grade 4 lesions (n=3). Articular cartilaginous defects were found in 37.1% of knees. Abnormalities of the menisci and anterior cruciate ligaments, bone marrow edema-like lesions, osteophytes, synovitis, and joint effusions were detected in 32.3%, 38.7%, 45.2%, 100%, 15.1% and 67.7% of knees, respectively. Of these variables, only the differences in prevalence of joint effusions were significantly different in the mild and severe pain groups (P=0.004). It is concluded that MRI evaluates the entire joint structure of the osteoarthritic knee, demonstrating abnormalities of the cartilage, menisci, and anterior cruciate ligaments as well as bone marrow edema-like lesions, osteophytes, synovitis, and joint effusions. The difference in pain grading between OA patients reporting mild and severe degrees of pain is related to the presence of joint effusion.

To evaluate lesion detection of MR1 in knee joint osteoarthritis in patients with symptoms of pain,the correlation between MRI findings and varying degrees of reported pain was assessed.Twenty-eight patients(31 knees)with osteoarthritis were recruited for this study.The degree of knee pain was assessed by VRS scores.The knees were evaluated by plain film radiograph utilizing Kellgren-Lawrence scores.Multiple MR sequences were performed on a 1.5T MR-system,including sagittal and coronal dual fast spin echo(TR/TE 3660/11/120 ms,slice thickness 5 mm),coronal spin echo T1-weighted(TR/TE 360/9 ms,slice thickness 5 mm),sagittal fat saturated 3D-spoiled gradient-recalled echo(TR/TE 50/6 ms; slice thickness 1.5 mm; flip angle 40°),and 3D steady-state free precession (TR/TE 6/2.2 ms; slice thickness 1.6 mm: flip angle 30°)pulse sequences for the purpose of detecting abnormities of cartilage,menisci,the anterior cruciate ligaments,bone marrow edema-like lesions,osteophytes,synovitis,and joint effusions.MR findings were compared with the degree of pain using Fisher exact test with P values less than 0.05 indicating a statistically significant difference.The results showed that,of the 31 knees evaluated,mild pain was reported in 11 and severe pain in the remainder.Kellgren-Lawrence scores of all 31 evaluated OA knees were as follows: grade 1 lesions(n=6),grade 2 lesions(n=14),grade 3 lesions(n=8),and grade 4 lesions(n=3).Articular cartilaginous defects were found in 37.1% of knees.Abnormalities of the menisci and anterior cruciate ligaments,bone marrow edema-like lesions,osteophytes,synovitis,and joint effusions were detected in 32.3%,38.7%,45.2%,100%,15.1% and 67.7% of knees,respectively.Of these variables,only the differences in prevalence of joint effusions were significantly different in the mild and severe pain groups(P=0.004).It is concluded that MRI evaluates the entire joint structure of the osteoarthritic knee,demonstrating abnormalities of the cartilage,menisci,and anterior cruciate ligaments as well as bone marrow edema-like lesions,osteophytes,synovitis,and joint effusions.The difference in pain grading between OA patients reporting mild and severe degrees of pain is related to the presence of joint effusion.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the diurnal variation in cervical disc hydration and its relationship with cervical degeneration. Materials and Methods: C3–C7 discs of 86 prospectively enrolled participants (37 males, 49 females; mean age ± standard deviation, 23.5 ± 2.5 years) were assessed using T2 mapping in the morning and evening. All discs were stratified by Miyazaki grade or C2–C7 Cobb angle and T2 values (T2). The degree of diurnal T2 variation (T2-DDV), defined as (morning T2 – evening T2)/morning T2 x 100%, was measured for the entire disc, annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and endplate zones. Results: T2 of the entire disc decreased significantly after the daytime load (p < 0.001), with a T2-DDV of 13.3% for all discs and 16.0%, 12.2%, and 13.0% for healthy (grade I), mild degenerative (grade II), and advanced degenerative (grade III/IV) discs, respectively. T2 of regional NPs and AFs decreased significantly from morning to evening (p ≤ 0.049) except in the healthy anterior inner AF (p = 0.092). Compared with healthy discs, mild degenerative discs displayed lower T2 and T2-DDV in regional NPs (p < 0.001). Advanced degenerative discs showed higher T2-DDV in the anterior inner AF compared with healthy discs (p = 0.050). Significant diurnal T2 changes in the endplate zones were observed only in healthy discs (p = 0.013). Cervical discs in the low Cobb angle group showed higher T2-DDV in the anterior AFs and anterior NP and lower T2-DDV in the posterior AF than those in the high Cobb angle group (p ≤ 0.041). Conclusion This study characterized the diurnal variation in hydration of the cervical discs as assessed using T2 mapping and revealed early chemo-mechanical coupling dysfunction in degenerating discs. Cervical sagittal alignment on MRI can affect the diurnal stress patterns of the cervical discs. T2 mapping is sensitive to disc biomechanical dysfunction and offers translational potential from biomechanical research to clinical application.