“We need to reduce the incidence of hip replacement in the young patient because of the issues of failure, revision and quality of life,” said Paul E. Beaulé, MD, in the release. The accepted set of pathologies has expanded to include osteonecrosis, dysplasia, labral and cartilage tears and femoroacetabular impingement.
The improved diagnostic techniques are less invasive than the traditional methods and could, in the future, aid in the prevention or curing of osteoarthritis. New generation of imaging techniques captures the gross morphology, but also uses biomarkers, a more precise portrayal of joint tissue and pathology. Using this technology, the physician can pick up on what is going on in the joint as well as what will happen over time.
New imaging techniques are also able to enhance the T2-weighted MRI to show changes in the characteristic of the cartilage matrix. Another technique depends on the interaction between water and the molecular environment and requires special programming. The new biochemical imaging technologies — delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage — measures glycosamino-glycan content and shows good correlation with mechanical stiffness. The dGEMRIC can also detect biochemical changes before morphologic changes occur, which promotes a preventative approach to care.
Much of this new technology is not ready for release or is still in the early stages of use.
Read the AAOS news release on hip cartilage imaging technology.
Read other coverage on imaging technology:
– Imaging Doesn’t Benefit Most Low Back Pain
– Study: Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Can Differentiate Between Degeneration and Infection in Endplate Abnormalities
– Study: More Patients Receiving Diagnostic Imaging for Lower Back Pain in ED
