The diagnosis of early osteoarthritis of the knee using magnetic resonance imaging

In consideration of the growing number patients with osteoarthritis (OA), orthopaedic surgeons and physicians have increasingly focused on the prevention of OA. If early OA can be diagnosed, it may be possible to intervene to prevent disease progression, in turn decreasing the treatment costs and increasing patient satisfaction. In the early diagnosis of OA, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is more sensitive and advantageous than plain radiograph, as the former offers several additional advantages, including the absence of radiation exposure. However, as the validated consensus criteria of early OA using MRI are lacking at present, its routine use in daily practice would not be recommended. In this chapter, we will highlight the recent studies on the evolving use of MRI to diagnose early OA.