Quantitative radiography in osteoarthritis: analysis

This article has reviewed the use of semiquantitative individual feature scales based on standard photographs in published atlases, and quantitative techniques, including chondrometry, high-definition microfocal radiography, and computerized digital image analysis, and commented on their use in longitudinal studies of osteoarthritis where data are obtained from the reading of serial radiographs. For investigators planning future studies involving the reading of already available radiographs, the use of computerized digital image analysis, if available, is recommended for measurement of joint space because of its superior reliability; if this is not available, then chondrometry should be used. Other individual features should be scored using a standard atlas. For investigators planning new studies, especially therapeutic trials, recent guidelines recommended by a World Health Organization Satellite Workshop on 'The standardization of methods for the assessment of articular cartilage changes in osteoarthritis of the knee and hip joint' should be followed (Dieppe, 1995).