Magnetic resonance imaging can accurately assess the long-term progression of knee structural changes in experimental dog osteoarthritis

• Published in: Annals of the rheumatic diseases Vol. 67; no. 7; pp. 926 - 932
• Main Authors: Boileau, C, Martel-Pelletier, J, Abram, F, Raynauld, J-P, Troncy, É, D’Anjou, M-A, Moreau, M, Pelletier, J-P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism 01.07.2008; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Animals; Arthritis; Arthritis, Experimental - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow; Cartilage, Articular - pathology; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Dogs; Knee; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous. Osteoarticular involvement in other diseases; Morphology; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis, Knee - pathology; Osteophyte - pathology; Severity of Illness Index; Studies; Surgery; Knee; Fissipedia; Carnivora; Prognosis; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Rheumatology; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Long term; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Arthropathy; Medical imagery; Evolution; Degenerative disease; Osteoarthritis; Dog
• ISSN: 0003-4967; 1468-2060
• DOI: 10.1136/ard.2007.077297

Objectives:Osteoarthritis (OA) structural changes take place over decades in humans. MRI can provide precise and reliable information on the joint structure and changes over time. In this study, we investigated the reliability of quantitative MRI in assessing knee OA structural changes in the experimental anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) dog model of OA.Methods:OA was surgically induced by transection of the ACL of the right knee in five dogs. High resolution three dimensional MRI using a 1.5 T magnet was performed at baseline, 4, 8 and 26 weeks post surgery. Cartilage volume/thickness, cartilage defects, trochlear osteophyte formation and subchondral bone lesion (hypersignal) were assessed on MRI images. Animals were killed 26 weeks post surgery and macroscopic evaluation was performed.Results:There was a progressive and significant increase over time in the loss of knee cartilage volume, the cartilage defect and subchondral bone hypersignal. The trochlear osteophyte size also progressed over time. The greatest cartilage loss at 26 weeks was found on the tibial plateaus and in the medial compartment. There was a highly significant correlation between total knee cartilage volume loss or defect and subchondral bone hypersignal, and also a good correlation between the macroscopic and the MRI findings.Conclusion:This study demonstrated that MRI is a useful technology to provide a non-invasive and reliable assessment of the joint structural changes during the development of OA in the ACL dog model. The combination of this OA model with MRI evaluation provides a promising tool for the evaluation of new disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs).