The ultrasound assessment of osteoarthritis: the current status

Abstract

Traditionally, osteoarthritis (OA) is diagnosed with the clinical examination supplemented by the conventional radiography (CR). In the research literature, the role of ultrasound (US) imaging in the diagnostics of OA has risen steadily during the last two decades. US imaging is cheap and globally widely available often already in primary healthcare. Here, we reviewed the most essential US literature focusing on OA diagnostics and progression prediction using the various search engines. Starting from the year 2000, our search provided 1 445 journal articles. After reviewing the abstracts, 89 articles were finally included. Most of the reviewed articles focused on the imaging of knee and hand OA, whereas only a minority dealt with the imaging of hip, ankle, midfoot, acromioclavicular, and temporomandibular joints. Overall, during the last 20 years, the use of US imaging for OA assessment has increased in the scientific literature. In knee and hand joints, US imaging has been reported to be a promising tool to evaluate OA changes. Furthermore, the reproducibility of US as well as its association to MRI findings are excellent. Importantly, US seems to even outperform CR in certain aspects, such as detection of osteophytes, joint inflammation, meniscus protrusion, and localized cartilage damage (especially at the medial femoral condyle and sulcus area). Based on the reviewed literature, US can be truly considered as a complementary tool to CR in the clinical setup for OA diagnostics. New technical developments may even enhance the diagnostic value of the US in the future.

The emerging role of lncRNAs in osteoarthritis development and potential therapy

“…Osteoarthritis develops partly because of age, joint injuries, repetitive use of joints, mechanical stress, and obesity ( Loeser et al, 2016 ; Wakale et al, 2023 ). In clinic, physical examination and imaging tests (X-rays and MRI) in combination with medical history are helpful for osteoarthritis diagnosis ( Chalian et al, 2023 ; Nevalainen et al, 2023 ). In general, osteoarthritis was divided into four stages according to Kellgren-Lawrence classification based on radiological diagnostic criteria ( Kellgren and Lawrence, 1957 ).…”