Scientists have automated the measurement of a vital part of the knee in images with a computer program that performs much faster and just as reliably as humans who interpret the same images.

Having more precise information about wear and tear on this portion of the knee – a blend of fibrous tissue and cartilage called the meniscus – could lead to its use as a biomarker in predicting who is at risk for developing osteoarthritis, researchers say.

The meniscus consists of two C-shaped disks that rest between the thigh and shin bones. It provides cushioning, evens out weight distribution and reduces friction.

Under normal circumstances, radiologists use rulers to measure specific portions of an image. This new program replaces that method with automated measurements of several magnetic resonance imaging slices of the meniscus. These measurements can then be used to determine the total volume of the structure of the meniscus for comparison over time.

After developing the program, the scientists found that the automated measurements were either as reliable or more reliable than human measurements of mild to moderate cases of knee degeneration. More work is needed to make the program equally strong in measuring severely damaged knees, researchers say.

On a case-by-case basis, manual interpretation takes between seven and 20 minutes, and the computer program completes its segmentation in two to four minutes. The scientists say the program could be revamped to make it work even more rapidly without sacrificing accuracy.

“Our ambitious goal is to change the way radiology is practiced,” said Metin Gurcan, senior author of the work and an assistant professor of biomedical informatics at Ohio State University. “Right now, radiologists don’t have the tools to make more than crude measurements of most images. So one thing we are doing is providing those tools.”

The research appears online and is scheduled for later print publication in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage.

Researchers believe that if the meniscus – and, eventually, other parts of the knee – can be more precisely monitored for changes over time, the structures could serve as important predictors of people’s risk for developing osteoarthritis, the leading cause of disability in older adults.

Gurcan and colleagues used imaging data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a massive national study of the disorder, to develop and test new programming designed to automate radiological measurements.

Ohio State’s Medical Center was one of four clinical centers selected as part of the national initiative to collect information and design disease standards intended to speed drug development. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and is characterized by the breakdown and erosion of cartilage that causes pain, swelling and loss of motion in the joint.

Medical Imaging
RADIOLOGY