Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterised by the failure of normal biological processes to repair following damage. Traditionally, OA was considered a "wear and tear" disorder; however, it is now a recognised inflammatory condition, preceded by molecular modifications. The aim of this study was to evaluate inflammatory markers among individuals with early knee OA (eKOA) and well-matched asymptomatic controls. Methods Twenty six eKOA (females, n = 13; age = 60.2 +/- 5.4 yrs, height = 1.73 +/- 0.11 m, body mass = 77.8 +/- 12.8 kg, body fat = 33.9 +/- 8.5%) and twenty-three asymptomatic individuals (females, n = 14; age = 59.9 +/- 5.5yrs, height = 1.71 +/- 0.09 m, body mass = 72.6 +/- 11.3 kg, body fat = 30.4 +/- 8.2%) were recruited. The Timed Up and Go, and the 6 Minute Walk Tests evaluated physical function in addition to pain specific questionnaires (KOOS and ICOAP). Serum levels of IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8(CXCL8), IL-10, hsCRP and TNF-alpha were quantified using a multiplex assay via V-plex (R) Sector Imager 2400. Results As hypothesised, only KOOS and EQ-5D-5L metrics differed between the groups for non-blood derived measures (p < 0.04). Only IL-6 was higher in eKOA (P = 0.02; 95% CI = 0.202; by 0.197 pg/mL; 34.5%). Among eKOA, IL-6 did not relate to severity of KOOS pain (P = 0.696, r = -0.088), but had a positive relationship with ICOAP consistent (r = 0.469, P = 0.045) rather than intermittent pain. There was a moderate correlation between 6MWD and IL-8 (r = 0.471, P = 0.012). Conclusion Our results illustrate the potential for IL-6 as a biomarker for eKOA, and introduce the proposition for particular consideration in those with consistent pain. Further, for the first time the present data showed greater walking distance in eKOA with lower circulating IL-8. Future work should seek to verify these results and further investigate IL-6 and IL-8 related molecular pathways in eKOA, and their potential relationships with consistent knee pain and physical function.(c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Due to several technological advances, whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) is currently feasible with reasonable examination times and very good image quality. WB MRI protocols must be customized to the clinical questions they should solve. The most important MR sequences when evaluating skeletal muscle disease are as follows: T1-weighted (T1w) sequences are appropriate to depict anatomy, assess muscle atrophy, and detect fatty infiltration of muscles. Short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences or T2-weighted fat-saturated sequences can sensitively detect muscle edema. In this chapter, a comprehensive neuromuscular WB MRI protocol consisting of coronal T1w and STIR sequences at five body levels and additional axial T1w sequences is presented, modifications of this protocol are also discussed. In comparison to dedicated muscle MRI, WB MRI might be more useful for determination of the extent of the disease, detection of subclinical involvement, differential diagnosis, muscle biopsy planning, noninvasive follow-up examinations, and therapy monitoring. Currently, the most common application of neuromuscular WB MRI is the evaluation of inflammatory myopathies; muscle edema can be detected very sensitively. Another promising field for neuromuscular WB MRI are degenerative myopathies.