Rapid CT-based Estimation of Articular Cartilage Biomechanics in the Knee Joint Without Cartilage Segmentation.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful joint disease, causing disabilities in daily activities. However, there is no known cure for OA, and the best treatment strategy might be prevention. Finite element (FE) modeling has demonstrated potential for evaluating personalized risks for the progression of OA.

Clinical Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography With Semi-Automatic Segmentation Provides Feasible Input for Computational Models of the Knee Joint.

Computational models can provide information on joint function and risk of tissue failure related to progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Currently, the joint geometries utilized in modeling are primarily obtained via manual segmentation, which is time-consuming and hence impractical for direct clinical application. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a previously developed semi-automatic method for segmenting tibial and femoral cartilage to serve as input geometry for finite element (FE) models.

Computational evaluation of altered biomechanics related to articular cartilage lesions observed in vivo.

Chondral lesions provide a potential risk factor for development of osteoarthritis. Despite the variety of in vitro studies on lesion degeneration, in vivo studies that evaluate relation between lesion characteristics and the risk for the possible progression of OA are lacking. Here, we aimed to characterize different lesions and quantify biomechanical responses experienced by surrounding cartilage tissue.

Method for Segmentation of Knee Articular Cartilages Based on Contrast-Enhanced CT Images.

Segmentation of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) images enables quantitative evaluation of morphology of articular cartilage as well as the significance of the lesions. Unfortunately, automatic segmentation methods for CECT images are currently lacking. Here, we introduce a semiautomated technique to segment articular cartilage from in vivo CECT images of human knee.

Quantitative Dual Contrast CT Technique for Evaluation of Articular Cartilage Properties.

Impact injuries of cartilage may initiate post-traumatic degeneration, making early detection of injury imperative for timely surgical or pharmaceutical interventions. Cationic (positively-charged) CT contrast agents detect loss of cartilage proteoglycans (PGs) more sensitively than anionic (negatively-charged) or non-ionic (non-charged, i.e.

In Vivo Contrast-Enhanced Cone Beam CT Provides Quantitative Information on Articular Cartilage and Subchondral Bone.

In post-traumatic osteoarthritis, both articular cartilage and subchondral bone undergo characteristic pathological changes. This study investigates potential of delayed cone beam computed tomography arthrography (dCBCTa) to simultaneously detect variations in cartilage and subchondral bone. The knees of patients (n = 17) with suspected joint injuries were imaged using a clinical CBCT scanner at 5 and 45 min after the intra-articular injection of anionic contrast agent (Hexabrix™) with hydroxyapatite phantoms around the knee.