New evaluation method for early knee osteoarthritis using upright MRI and ultrasonography

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18528
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56020:Orthopedics-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Shimozaki Kengo 金沢大学, 医学系, 協力研究員 (10800617)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 早期変形性膝関節症 / 超音波 / MRI / 立位 / 動的評価

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Dynamic ultrasonographic evaluation in patients with early knee osteoarthritis (knee OA) has shown that this assessment is suitable for assessing medial meniscus function and is useful as a screening for patients with early knee OA.
In addition, in the upright MRI examination for patients with early knee OA, the degenerated medial meniscus causes a large extrusion (meaning loss of meniscal function), but medial meniscus the posterior root tear, which is a special tear form of the medial meniscus, causes little increase in medial meniscal extrusion due to loading. It is a new finding we have gained in this study.
Furthermore, in the evaluation of the effect of the lateral wedge plate, we obtained a clinically linked result that the therapeutic effect of the lateral wedge plate can be visualized using upright ultrasound. These results were presented as conference presentations and manuscripts.

Free Research Field

整形外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では早期変形性膝関節症（膝OA）に対する動的超音波評価および立位MRI評価によって早期膝OAにおける特徴的な内側半月板所見をスクリーニングが可能であり、また外側楔状足底板の治療効果判定も可能なことを示し本分野の診療の発展に大きく貢献したと考えられる。またこの結果からMRI検査が必要な症例が明確となり不適切な診断を受ける患者が減ることおよび低コストな超音波による評価であることは大きな社会的意義があると考える。