Responsiveness and reliability of MRI in knee osteoarthritis: An updated meta-analysis.
Osteoarthritis CartilageApr 21, 2026 (epub)
Jie Jia, Xiaoyu Zhu, Yifan Mai et al.
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis evaluated the reliability and responsiveness of MRI in assessing structural changes in knee osteoarthritis (OA) using data from 145 studies. The findings indicate that MRI measurements exhibit high reliability, with a pooled RMS-CV% of 2.7% for total cartilage volume. Additionally, medial tibiofemoral cartilage thickness showed the highest responsiveness with a pooled annualized SRM of -0.350.
Key findings
- Pooled RMS-CV% for total cartilage volume was 2.7% (95% CI: 1.9-3.8%).
- Pooled annualized SRM for medial tibiofemoral cartilage thickness was -0.350 (95% CI: -0.405 to -0.294).
- Increased follow-up duration correlates with higher SRM values for cartilage volume and thickness.
Why it matters
Understanding the reliability and responsiveness of MRI in knee OA is crucial for clinicians to accurately monitor disease progression and evaluate treatment efficacy. This knowledge can enhance the design of clinical trials and improve patient management strategies.