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Research progress of morphometry and quantitative MRI techniques in knee post-traumatic osteoarthritis
JIANG Zongkai  ZHANG Qingting  YANG Yuanshan  HUANG Jinbai 

Cite this article as: JIANG Z K, ZHANG Q T, YANG Y S, et al. Research progress of morphometry and quantitative MRI techniques in knee post-traumatic osteoarthritis[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(10): 218-224. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.10.027.


[Abstract] Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a subtype of osteoarthritis (OA) secondary to joint trauma, with a clear etiology and identifiable onset. Approximately 50% of patients with knee trauma develop symptomatic radiographic PTOA on imaging within the subsequent decade. Although early intervention holds promise for improving clinical outcomes, early detection of PTOA remains challenging. MRI can non-invasively visualize various pathological features of articular cartilage and has been widely used in PTOA research. However, traditional MRI semi-quantitative scoring systems predominantly reflect morphological abnormalities of joint structures and have limited sensitivity to early biochemical changes in the cartilage matrix. Morphometric parameters, assessed via high-resolution three-dimensional MRI sequences to evaluate cartilage thickness and joint geometry, reflect post-traumatic biomechanical alterations; whereas quantitative MRI techniques such as T2 mapping and T1ρ mapping are sensitive to early biochemical changes in the cartilage matrix. This review systematically summarizes the current applications of cartilage thickness assessment, knee joint geometric parameters, T2 mapping, and T1ρ mapping in the early evaluation of PTOA. It analyzes the key limitations of existing techniques, including misinterpretation of morphometric measurements based on single-time-point data, congenital or secondary etiologies of abnormal alignment parameters, and the overreliance on cross-sectional evidence. Additional limitations of quantitative imaging techniques include reliance on manual segmentation, magic angle effects, inter-scanner variability, and the absence of unified diagnostic thresholds. Furthermore, this paper discusses future research directions, covering longitudinal study design, multi-parameter integrated analysis, artificial intelligence-assisted segmentation, and the development of standardized threshold criteria. The aim is to provide imaging-based reference for early identification of high-risk individuals and formulation of personalized rehabilitation strategies.
[Keywords] knee joint, post-traumatic osteoarthritis；magnetic resonance imaging；morphometry；quantitative magnetic resonance imaging

JIANG Zongkai1, 2, 3   ZHANG Qingting1, 2   YANG Yuanshan1, 2   HUANG Jinbai1, 2*  

1 Nuclear Medicine Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, China

2 Yangtze University Health Science Center, Jingzhou 434023, China

3 Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin 541000, China

Corresponding author: HUANG J B, E-mail: jinbaihuang@126.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2026-05-13
Accepted  2026-09-19
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.10.027
Cite this article as: JIANG Z K, ZHANG Q T, YANG Y S, et al. Research progress of morphometry and quantitative MRI techniques in knee post-traumatic osteoarthritis[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(10): 218-224. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.10.027.

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