Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage and meniscus during osteoarthritis progression. Experimental and clinical feasibility of novel MRI methods
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
Auditorium F202 (Aapistie 5 B), Zoom link: https://oulu.zoom.us/j/67339779656
Topic of the dissertation
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage and meniscus during osteoarthritis progression. Experimental and clinical feasibility of novel MRI methods
Doctoral candidate
Master of Health Sciences Abdul Wahed Kajabi
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Medicine, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology (MIPT)
Subject of study
Medical Physics and Technology
Opponent
Associate Professor Matthew F. Koff, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), New York, USA
Custos
Professor Miika T. Nieminen, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology (MIPT)
Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage and meniscus during osteoarthritis progression. Experimental and clinical feasibility of novel MRI methods
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, causing joint pain and functional disability in millions of people worldwide. OA is characterized by the progressive loss of articular cartilage and involves the whole knee joint including articular cartilage, meniscus, subchondral bone and the synovium.
Despite the successes in medicine, there is still no effective treatment to prevent or cure OA. This is largely due to the absence of a reliable and sensitive biomarker that is able to identify early OA and follow up the disease progression. Early diagnosis of OA can lead the way to appropriate interventions that can potentially avoid the onset or progression of OA and development of new treatments.
Novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods have been indirectly associated with the compositional changes and biomechanical properties of articular cartilage and meniscus. The methods were found to be sensitive to the degenerative changes in articular cartilage and meniscus.
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the potential of novel MRI parameters for the assessment of structural and compositional changes in articular cartilage in a rabbit model of early OA and an equine model of post-traumatic OA. Moreover, the clinical feasibility of the methods for the evaluation of structural changes in the meniscus was studied in human subjects.
The novel MRI parameters were sensitive to the degenerative cartilage changes in both the rabbit model of early OA and the equine model of post-traumatic OA. The parameters were highly associated with cartilage tissue properties. Furthermore, the methods detected meniscus tissue alterations associated with meniscal tear and cartilage lesions in human OA. These findings indicate the potential of novel MRI methods for the evaluation of early OA changes in articular cartilage, and clinical feasibility of the methods for the assessment of the meniscus.
Despite the successes in medicine, there is still no effective treatment to prevent or cure OA. This is largely due to the absence of a reliable and sensitive biomarker that is able to identify early OA and follow up the disease progression. Early diagnosis of OA can lead the way to appropriate interventions that can potentially avoid the onset or progression of OA and development of new treatments.
Novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods have been indirectly associated with the compositional changes and biomechanical properties of articular cartilage and meniscus. The methods were found to be sensitive to the degenerative changes in articular cartilage and meniscus.
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the potential of novel MRI parameters for the assessment of structural and compositional changes in articular cartilage in a rabbit model of early OA and an equine model of post-traumatic OA. Moreover, the clinical feasibility of the methods for the evaluation of structural changes in the meniscus was studied in human subjects.
The novel MRI parameters were sensitive to the degenerative cartilage changes in both the rabbit model of early OA and the equine model of post-traumatic OA. The parameters were highly associated with cartilage tissue properties. Furthermore, the methods detected meniscus tissue alterations associated with meniscal tear and cartilage lesions in human OA. These findings indicate the potential of novel MRI methods for the evaluation of early OA changes in articular cartilage, and clinical feasibility of the methods for the assessment of the meniscus.
Last updated: 1.3.2023