Associations between MRI-detected early osteophytes and knee structure in older adults

Radiography fails to detect a large proportion of osteophytes (OP) which can only be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This population-based cohort study describes that MRI-OPs were associated with changes in knee structures, and the associations were similar but not as prominent as those for established-OPs.

To illustrate the osteophytes (OPs) prevalence identified exclusively by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but not by standard X-ray among older adults and to assess longitudinal relationships with knee structural changes.

A total of eight hundred thirty-seven participants were had MRI scans to evaluate knee OPs and additional structures. MRI-detected early OPs were the OPs which identified only by MRI and established-OPs were the OPs detected by both X-ray and MRI.

At baseline, the incidence of established-OPs was 10%, MRI-OPs was 50%, and no-OPs was 40% at total tibiofemoral (TF) compartment. By adjusting for sex, age, cartilage defects, BMLs, BMI, and/or joint space narrowing, participants with MRI-OPs as compared to the participants with no-OPs showed higher risks of increased bone marrow lesions (BMLs) only in medial TF compartment and cartilage defects in all TF compartments. Further after adjusting covariates, participants with established-OPs showed higher risks of increased cartilage defects in total, medial TF compartments and BMLs in all TF compartments along with higher cartilage volume loss at total and lateral tibial sites.

MRI-OPs were correlated with changes in knee structures, and the relationships were alike but not as noticeable as those for established-OPs. These propose MRI-OPs contribute in knee early-stage osteoarthritic progression.