Diagnostic value of synovitis in knee osteoarthritis using synthetic PSIR images in comparison with CE-MRI using histopathology as reference.

Motivation: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a complex, whole-organ disease with early-stage synovitis as a key indicator of its progression. While contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) is the standard for synovitis detection, it's costly and has potential health risks, making it less helpful for routine use. Goal(s): This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of synthetic MRI (SyMRI) using MAGiC-PSIR for detecting KOA-related synovitis and compare it to CE-MRI. Approach: Forty KOA patients will undergo both CE-T1WI and MAGiC-PSIR imaging. Radiologists will independently assess synovial features and use statistical analyses to compare inter-observer agreement, accuracy, and quantitative metrics across imaging methods. Impact: This research may establish MAGiC-PSIR as a safer, efficient alternative for KOA synovitis assessment, supporting non-invasive monitoring of disease progression in clinical settings