Magnetic resonance imaging and biochemical markers of cartilage disease

Cartilage diseases include a myriad of disorders ranging from genetic defects to articular cartilage abnormalities that are usually caused by traumatic injuries or result from chronic progressive degradation of articular cartilage. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent cartilage disease. OA pathology involves the whole joint, but the change in cartilage is the hallmark feature of OA. Biomarkers are an important tool in identifying early OA, monitoring progression of OA and as an outcome in clinical trials and observational studies. Increasing evidence suggests magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and serum biochemical markers as predictors of clinical and radiographic OA and many clinical trials have used these biomarkers as an outcome measure. Imaging and biochemical markers play a critical role in understanding the natural history of the disease and in guiding future therapies, including assessing the efficacy of disease-modifying OA drugs on cartilage morphology and composition. In this chapter, we will give insight into the roles of commonly used MRI and biochemical markers of OA, particularly focusing on the assessment of knee OA.