Patient characterization at baseline using multiparametric MRI at 7T for cartilage anabolic drug testing in osteoarthritis

Motivation: Testing osteoarthritis (OA) drugs in small, early phase trials requires the most comprehensive measurements possible. Goal(s): To identify cartilage imaging endpoints best suited to a Phase 2A study in OA. Approach: Knee joints of 45 OA patients were scanned at 7T, their cartilage lesions precisely localized using automated segmentation, then biochemically characterized using sodium MRI and T2 mapping as well as Radiomics for texture assessments. Results: Patients showed multiple cartilage lesions primarily at the medial condyle but also in other locations. Sodium content and textural parameter "autocorrelation" revealed as clear discriminators between healthy and damaged cartilage. Impact: The results of this study have implications for clinical trials on cartilage drugs in OA, where new imaging endpoints should be considered due to a small sample size and short duration of treatment.