The Association of Cartilage Volume with Knee Pain in Osteoarthritis: An Atlas-Based vs Native Approach

Motivation: This research investigates the limited association between cartilage volume and knee pain in osteoarthritis, potentially confounded by anatomical variability. Goal(s): To enhance the correlation between MRI-derived cartilage volumes and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) pain scores using a knee atlas for image registration. Approach: Using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, MRIs of subjects with OA were registered to an anatomical template. The atlas-based measurements were compared with traditional methods to assess the impact on correlation with WOMAC pain scores. Results: Atlas registration resulted in more consistent cartilage volume measures, reducing variability, and doubling the correlation with WOMAC pain scores. Impact: In knee osteoarthritis the registration of MRIs to an anatomical template significantly increases the association between cartilage volumes and osteoarthritis pain scores, enabling more accurate and sensitive detection of pain-related cartilage changes, potentially influencing OA management and therapy development.