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3D analysis and grading of calcifications from ex vivo human meniscus

Hellberg, I. ; Karjalainen, V. P. ; Finnilä, M. A.J. ; Jonsson, E. ; Turkiewicz, A. LU ; Önnerfjord, P. LU orcid ; Hughes, V. LU ; Tjörnstrand, J. LU ; Englund, M. LU orcid and Saarakkala, S. (2023) In Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 31(4). p.482-492
Abstract

Objective: Meniscal calcifications are associated with the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis (OA). We propose a micro-computed tomography (μCT) based 3D analysis of meniscal calcifications ex vivo, including a new grading system. Method: Human medial and lateral menisci were obtained from 10 patients having total knee replacement for medial compartment OA and 10 deceased donors without knee OA (healthy references). The samples were fixed; one subsection was imaged with μCT, and the adjacent tissue was processed for histological evaluation. Calcifications were examined from the reconstructed 3D μCT images, and a new grading system was developed. To validate the grading system, meniscal calcification volumes (CVM) were... (More)

Objective: Meniscal calcifications are associated with the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis (OA). We propose a micro-computed tomography (μCT) based 3D analysis of meniscal calcifications ex vivo, including a new grading system. Method: Human medial and lateral menisci were obtained from 10 patients having total knee replacement for medial compartment OA and 10 deceased donors without knee OA (healthy references). The samples were fixed; one subsection was imaged with μCT, and the adjacent tissue was processed for histological evaluation. Calcifications were examined from the reconstructed 3D μCT images, and a new grading system was developed. To validate the grading system, meniscal calcification volumes (CVM) were quantitatively analyzed and compared between the calcification grades. Furthermore, we estimated the relationship between histopathological degeneration and the calcification severity. Results: 3D μCT images depict calcifications in every sample, including diminutive calcifications that are not visible in histology. In the new grading system, starting from grade 2, each grade results in a CVM that is 20.3 times higher (95% CI 13.3–30.5) than in the previous grade. However, there was no apparent difference in CVM between grades 1 and 2. The calcification grades appear to increase with the increasing histopathological degeneration, although histopathological degeneration is also observed with small calcification grades. Conclusions: 3D μCT grading of meniscal calcifications is feasible. Interestingly, it seems that there are two patterns of degeneration in the menisci of our sample set: 1) with diminutive calcifications (calcification grades 1–2), and 2) with large to widespread calcifications (calcification grades 3–5).

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Calcification grading, Meniscal calcification, Micro-computed tomography, Volumetric analysis
in
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
volume
31
issue
4
pages
482 - 492
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85142421440
  • pmid:36356928
ISSN
1063-4584
DOI
10.1016/j.joca.2022.10.016
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6f94e2a7-3077-4c33-a36b-686b48da2dcd
date added to LUP
2023-01-26 15:25:50
date last changed
2024-06-27 16:53:36
@article{6f94e2a7-3077-4c33-a36b-686b48da2dcd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: Meniscal calcifications are associated with the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis (OA). We propose a micro-computed tomography (μCT) based 3D analysis of meniscal calcifications ex vivo, including a new grading system. Method: Human medial and lateral menisci were obtained from 10 patients having total knee replacement for medial compartment OA and 10 deceased donors without knee OA (healthy references). The samples were fixed; one subsection was imaged with μCT, and the adjacent tissue was processed for histological evaluation. Calcifications were examined from the reconstructed 3D μCT images, and a new grading system was developed. To validate the grading system, meniscal calcification volumes (CV<sub>M</sub>) were quantitatively analyzed and compared between the calcification grades. Furthermore, we estimated the relationship between histopathological degeneration and the calcification severity. Results: 3D μCT images depict calcifications in every sample, including diminutive calcifications that are not visible in histology. In the new grading system, starting from grade 2, each grade results in a CV<sub>M</sub> that is 20.3 times higher (95% CI 13.3–30.5) than in the previous grade. However, there was no apparent difference in CV<sub>M</sub> between grades 1 and 2. The calcification grades appear to increase with the increasing histopathological degeneration, although histopathological degeneration is also observed with small calcification grades. Conclusions: 3D μCT grading of meniscal calcifications is feasible. Interestingly, it seems that there are two patterns of degeneration in the menisci of our sample set: 1) with diminutive calcifications (calcification grades 1–2), and 2) with large to widespread calcifications (calcification grades 3–5).</p>}},
  author       = {{Hellberg, I. and Karjalainen, V. P. and Finnilä, M. A.J. and Jonsson, E. and Turkiewicz, A. and Önnerfjord, P. and Hughes, V. and Tjörnstrand, J. and Englund, M. and Saarakkala, S.}},
  issn         = {{1063-4584}},
  keywords     = {{Calcification grading; Meniscal calcification; Micro-computed tomography; Volumetric analysis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{482--492}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Osteoarthritis and Cartilage}},
  title        = {{3D analysis and grading of calcifications from ex vivo human meniscus}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2022.10.016}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.joca.2022.10.016}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}