Early detection of osteoarthritis in rabbits using MRI with a double-contrast agent

Abstract

BackgroundArticular cartilage degeneration has been evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, this method has several problems, including its time-consuming nature and the requirement of a high magnetic field or specialized hardware. The purpose of this study was to sequentially assess early degenerative changes in rabbit knee articular cartilage using MRI with a new double-contrast agent.MethodsWe induced osteoarthritis (OA) in the right knee of rabbits by anterior cruciate ligament transection and partial medial meniscectomy. Proton density-weighted images and T2-calculated images were obtained before and after contrast agent injection into the knee. The signal intensity ratio (SIR) values on the proton density-weighted images were calculated by dividing the signal intensity of the articular cartilage by that of joint fluid. Six rabbits were examined using MRI at 2 (designated 2-w OA) and 4 weeks (4-w OA) after the operation. Histological examination was performed 4 weeks after the operation. One rabbit was histologically examined 2 weeks after the operation. The control consisted of six rabbits that were not subjected to the operation. The SIR values, T2 values and the thicknesses of the cartilage of the 2-w OA, 4-w OA and the control before and after contrast agent injection were analyzed. The Mankin score and OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International) score were used for the histological evaluation.ResultsSignificant differences in the SIR and T2 values of the medial and lateral condyles of the femur were found between the control and the 4-w OA only after contrast agent injection. No significant differences were found in the SIR and T2 values before contrast agent injection between the control, the 2-w OA and 4-w OA. The thickness of the articular cartilage revealed no significant differences. In the histological assessment, the Mankin score and OARSI score sequentially increased from the control to the 4-w OA.ConclusionWe evaluated the SIR and T2 values of the knees in a rabbit OA model and a control model using a new double-contrast agent. MRI with this agent enabled OA detection earlier than using conventional MRI.

Ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for intra-articular targeting of cartilage in early osteoarthritis

“…As a degenerative disease characterized by cartilage damage with chronic pain and functional impairment, osteoarthritis (OA) not only reduces the quality of life of patients, but also leads to a growing social health care burden [ 1 , 2 ]. Although painkiller and artificial joint replacement are available for symptomatic relief of advanced OA, therapies to cure the disease radically are still lacking [ 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Compared to computed tomography (CT) with radiation of X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the advantages of non-radiation and high soft tissue resolution, which is suitable for periodic assessment of disease progression and has been widely employed to evaluate cartilage degeneration. However, for early lesions of OA, the sensitivity of MRI itself is not enough to make the diagnosis accurately, and contrast agents are required to improve the sensitivity [ 2 , 5–7 ].…”

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“…e second is the implementation of auxiliary examination methods. Arthrography, ultrasonography, and other examinations have been used to diagnose ACL injury in different historical periods, but they have not become the mainstream means due to their invasiveness, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy [7]. Since the 1980s, MRI technology, which has been applied to the imaging diagnosis of knee soft tissue injury, has become one of the preferred imaging methods for initial diagnosis with its noninvasive, fast, powerful multiplanar tomography and high differentiation of soft tissue [8].…”

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“…Therefore, tissue engineering is a promising approach for treating such defects. Advances in materials research and high-tech optimized fabrication of scaffolds have increased the efficiency of tissue engineering [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ].…”