Graph Analysis of MRI-Derived Radiomics in Articular Knee Cartilage: Differentiating Healthy from Osteoarthritic Joints

Motivation: Our study examines the utility of graph-based analyses in revealing the interplay of radiomic features in knee osteoarthritis (OA), specifically to discover patterns that are hidden in traditional analyses. Goal(s): To differentiate radiomic profiles of healthy individuals from OA patients using graph-based methodologies and identify key features associated with OA progression. Approach: We analyze feature interconnections within knee joint compartments using MRI-based radiomics and cosine similarity graphs to evaluate features from 20 subjects. Results: Clustering coefficients and path lengths within the graphs revealed a distinct, pathology-driven convergence of radiomic features in OA patients compared to controls. Impact: The graph analysis revealed a convergence of radiomic features in OA, potentially contributing to a better understanding of the disease and therefore opening the path to novel analysis strategies.