Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
Knee Arthrocentesis in Adults
Published on: February 25, 2022
Associations of Longitudinal Multiparametric MRI Findings and Clinical Outcomes in Intra-Articular Injections for
Woo Young Kang1, Suk-Joo Hong1, Ji-Hoon Bae2
1Department of Radiology, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul 08308, Republic of Korea.
Background:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease marked by the degradation of articular cartilage.
Objective:
This study aimed to explore the relationship between cartilage volume/thickness and clinical outcomes in knee OA patients treated with intra-articular injections over one year.
Methods:
Twenty-four patients with mild-to-moderate OA were retrospectively analyzed using knee MRI. OA features were assessed semiquantitatively with the Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS), while cartilage thickness and volume in the medial femoral condyle (MFC) and medial tibial plateau (MTP) were measured. T1ρ and T2 values for MFC cartilage were also recorded. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Korean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (K-WOMAC) and Knee Injury Osteoarthritis Outcomes (KOOS) scores. Spearman's rank test assessed the associations between imaging changes and clinical outcomes.
Results:
The baseline MTP and MFC cartilage thickness and MTP cartilage volume showed significant correlations with clinical outcomes. Additionally, less progressive cartilage loss in the medial femorotibial joint (MFTJ) and overall joint was linked to a better clinical response over 12 months.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, thicker baseline MFTJ cartilage and minimal cartilage loss were associated with favorable clinical outcomes in knee OA patients receiving intra-articular injections.
