Utilization of longitudinal ultrasound to quantify joint soft-tissue changes in a mouse model of posttraumatic osteoarthritis

Abstract

Ultrasound could be a fast and cost-effective means of assessing joint changes in mouse models of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Such models are essential for understanding the biology of this degenerative joint disease and developing new treatments, but noninvasive methods of evaluating disease activity are lacking. Because ultrasound can visualize both joint space volumes and blood flow in the joints, it could provide an alternative to microscopic examination of tissue, assuming it accurately reflects the pathological changes. To test this, Lianping Xing at Rochester Medical Center in New York, Yongjun Wang at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and colleagues surgically induced PTOA in the knees of mice and then assessed the animals at regular intervals using either ultrasound or tissue microscopy. The changes detected by ultrasound strongly correlated with synovial inflammation and cartilage damage. In addition, ultrasound provides a tool for longitudinally assessing the changes of joint tissue lesions in PTOA.

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