Abstract
Cartilage degeneration is one of the most common chronic age-related joint disorders
leading to pain and reduced joint motion. The increasing prevalence of osteoarthritis
requires accurate cartilage imaging, both clinically and in research. Detailed cartilage
imaging is also necessary for traumatic cartilage lesions and for pre- and postoperative
assessment of cartilage repair procedures. Although still widely used, conventional
radiography bears significant limitations because it assesses cartilage indirectly
by joint space width. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables direct visualization
of cartilage damage along with other concomitantly affected joint tissues. Several
semiquantitative grading systems and volumetric analysis methods exist to assess cartilage
damage and cartilage repair on MRI. Quantification of hyaline and fibrocartilage biochemical
composition is possible with novel MRI methods such as T2- and T1ρ-mapping, delayed
gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage, glycosaminoglycan chemical exchange saturation
transfer, and sodium imaging, along with quantitative computed tomography arthrography.
These techniques provide promising quantitative imaging biomarkers that can detect
early cartilage changes before morphological alterations occur.
Keywords
articular cartilage - imaging - radiography - magnetic resonance imaging - computed
tomography
