Magnetic Resonance Image Sequence Influences the Relationship between Bone Marrow Lesions Volume and Pain: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Abstract EN

Subchondral bone marrow lesions (BMLs) are related to structural and symptomatic osteoarthritis progression.

However, it is unclear how sequence selection influences a quantitative BML measurement and its construct validity.

We compared quantitative assessment of BMLs on intermediate-weighted fat suppressed (IW FS) turbo spin echo and 3-dimensional dual echo steady state (3D DESS) sequences.

We used a customized software to measure 30 knees’ (24- and 48-month MR images) BMLs on both sequences.

The results showed that the IW FS sequences have much larger BML volumes (median: IW FS = 1840 mm3; DESS = 191 mm3) and BML volume change (between 24 and 48 months) than DESS sequence and demonstrate more BML volume change.

The 24-month BML volume on IW FS is correlated with BML volume on DESS (rs = 0.83).

BML volume change on IW FS is not significantly correlated with change on DESS.

The 24-month WOMAC pain is correlated with the 24-month BMLs on IW FS (rs = 0.39) but not DESS.

The change in WOMAC pain is correlated with BML volume change on IW FS (rs = 0.37) but not DESS.

Overall, BML quantification on IW FS offers better validity and statistical power than BML quantification on a 3D DESS sequence.