Multi-Scale Analysis of Knee Joint Acoustic Signals for Cartilage Degeneration Assessment

This study focuses on the diagnostic analysis of cartilage damage in the knee joint based on acoustic signals generated by the joint. The research utilizes a combination of advanced signal processing techniques, specifically empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), alongside convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for classification and detection tasks. Acoustic signals, often reflecting the mechanical behavior of the joint during movement, serve as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for assessing the cartilage condition. EEMD is applied to decompose the signals into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), which are then analyzed using DFA to quantify the scaling properties and detect irregularities indicative of cartilage damage. The separation of individual frequency components allows for multi-scale analysis of the signals, with each of the functions resulting from the analysis reflecting local variations in the amplitude and frequency over time and allowing for effective removal of noise present in the signal. The CNN model is trained on features extracted from these signals to accurately classify different stages of cartilage degeneration. The proposed method demonstrates the potential for early detection of knee joint pathology, providing a valuable tool for preventive healthcare and reducing the need for invasive diagnostic procedures. The results suggest that the combination of EEMD-DFA for feature extraction and CNN for classification offers a promising approach for the non-invasive assessment of cartilage damage.