Presenter: Katherine Kennedy − Human Physiology
Faculty Mentor(s): Jon Runyeon
Session: (In-Person) ) Oral Panel—Neuron & Cognition
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. With what is often said to be the gold standard of OA diagnosis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), researchers have studied the tool’s methodological accuracy through comparing it to other widely used instruments, such as X-rays. However, all imaging methods offer indirect visualization of the pathological condition, whereas analysis of the joint cartilage itself would offer a direct way of evaluating the disease. The purpose of this study was to assess MRI effectiveness in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis through visualization of common pathological features in the knee both indirectly, using MRI, and directly through evaluative dissection of the cadaveric knee joint. It is hypothesized that the observations and measurements drawn from the direct dissection of the joints will convey clearer indications of OA and the true grade of its severity more so than MRI will through the minimal OA evidence picked up indirectly through magnetic signals. This will dismiss MRI as the gold standard for OA diagnosis and will pave the way for future research on discovering new, effective methods for early detection and accurate diagnosis of the common joint disease.