Longitudinal Assessment of Cartilage Thickness, T1ρ and T2 Changes in Patients with Mild Osteoarthritis using MRI and 3D Surface-Based Analysis

Motivation: Osteoarthritis (OA) leads to cartilage degradation and pain, impacting patients' lives. MRI allows detailed cartilage assessment; however, limited sensitivity hinders early-phase clinical trials developing disease-modifying treatments. Goal(s): To apply 3D cartilage surface mapping in a homogeneous patient group over 12 months. Approach: Combined morphological and compositional cartilage MRI with 3D surface-based analysis to assess longitudinal changes within patients with mild OA. Results: Bi-directional cartilage thickness, T1ρ, and T2 alterations exceeding measurement errors were observed after 12 months. Medial femorotibial cartilage thinned, while lateral tibial cartilage thickened. Cartilage thickness changes correlated negatively with T1ρ and T2 changes in tibial and patellar cartilage. Impact: The results and methods presented can improve understanding of early structural and compositional changes in cartilage, monitoring disease progression and assessing the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in OA.