The dual use of PET and MRI imaging may lead to increased bone remodeling detection in injured knees of patients more inclined to develop osteoarthritis, according to a study published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage.
Here are three things to know:
1. The study comprised15 participants and 30 knees. To be included, participants needed to have a surgically repaired anterior cruciate ligament tear in one knee and a healthy, unaffected knee.
2. Using a simultaneous PET-MRI system, researchers took scans to compare the bone remodeling in each knee.
3. The PET scan allowed researchers to view the patients' subchondral bone, while the MRI detected early degenerative changes in the cartilage tissue structure, which occur before the loss of cartilage tissue.
Researchers said the combination of this imaging technology is the first technique to simultaneously assess a variety of early metabolic and cellular markers of joint tissue health in a population at risk for developing early knee osteoarthritis. The detection of increased subchondral bone metabolism in these patients may serve as an important indicator of early osteoarthritis progression.