ANALYZING THE ACCURACY OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN DIAGNOSING OSTEOARTHRITIS THROUGH ITS COMPARISON TO EVALUATIVE DISSECTION OF THE HUMAN CADAVER TIBIOFEMORAL JOINT

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause for chronic disability in the U.S, affecting over 32 million adults nationwide. Although there is no cure for the age-related disease, early detection and diagnosis is crucial in providing individuals with treatment that will improve joint function, health, and overall quality of life. Often said to be the gold standard of OA diagnosis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been studied for its methodological accuracy through comparing it to other widely used instruments, such as X-rays. However, such imaging methods offer indirect visualization of the pathological condition, whereas analysis of the joint cartilage itself offers a direct way of evaluating the disease. The purpose of this study was to assess MRI effectiveness in the diagnosis of OA through visualization of common pathological features in the knee both indirectly, using MRI, and directly through evaluative dissection of the cadaveric knee joint. It was hypothesized that the observations and measurements drawn from the direct dissection of the joints would convey clearer indications of OA and the true grade of its severity more so than MRI through the minimal pathological evidence picked up indirectly through magnetic signals. The goal of this research was to assess this “gold standard” of diagnosing OA in hopes of encouraging more research to eventually increase rates of early diagnosis, improve prevention and treatment plans, and move towards a cure for the incurable disease to maintain whole-joint and overall health. Results indicated a disparity between MRI and direct dissection findings through MRI’s lack of sensitivity to severity of OA signs, presenting a large problem with the diagnostic tool as severity of the disease takes priority over presence of the disease in approaching its treatment. This would dismiss MRI as the gold standard for OA diagnosis, and may pave the way for future research on discovering new, superior methods for early detection and accurate diagnosis to prevent, treat, and eventually cure the common joint disease