A press release has been sent to the medical news media for the following article appearing in Radiology in July at RSNA.org/radiology and in the September print issue:
Tibiofemoral Joint Osteoarthritis: Risk Factors for MR-depicted Fast Cartilage Loss over a 30-month Period in the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study
Sagittal intermediate-weighted fat uppressed MR images (4800/35) show fast cartilage loss in lateral compartment between (a) baseline and (b) followup. (a) Maceration (arrowhead) of anterior horn of lateral meniscus. (b) Diffuse cartilage loss in central and posterior parts of lateral femur and in central region of lateral tibia (arrowheads).
(Radiology 2009;252:772-780) © RSNA, 2009. All rights reserved. Printed with permission. |
MR demonstrates features associated with rapid tibio-femoral cartilage loss in patients with osteoarthritis and may reveal possible risk factors, researchers have found.
Frank W. Roemer, M.D., of the Department of Radiology at Boston University Medical Center, and colleagues studied a cohort of participants in a multicenter osteoarthritis trial. Only knee images with minimal baseline cartilage damage were included—347 knees in all. Researchers found that 25.9 percent of knees exhibited cartilage loss over a 30-month period and 5.8 percent showed rapid cartilage loss as defined by the whole organ magnetic resonance imaging score (WORMS) system.
"High body mass index, the presence of meniscal tears, meniscal extrusion, synovitis/effusion and any high-grade MR-defined risk factor were strong predictors of rapid cartilage loss," Dr. Roemer and colleagues noted.
Researchers proposed that patients exhibiting these predictors may be good candidates for preventive research trials.
"We did not succeed in defining baseline predictors that can unequivocally differentiate slow from rapid cartilage loss," Dr. Roemer and colleagues noted. "However, including knees with baseline meniscal damage and extrusion and knees with high-grade baseline MR features, a subpopulation at high risk of progressive cartilage loss may be identified."
Media Coverage of Radiology
In July, media outlets carried 266 news stories generated by articles appearing in the print and online editions of Radiology. These stories reached an estimated 190 million people.
News releases promoted findings from studies on a minimally invasive treatment for calcific tendonitis of the shoulder (Radiology 2009;252:157-164), detection and staging of deep endometriosis (Radiology 2009; 10.1148/radiol.2531082113), contributing factors to rapid cartilage loss in the knee (Radiology 2009; 10.1148/10.1148/radiol.2523082197) and how calcium levels in the coronary arteries may predict future severe cardiac events (Radiology 2009; 10.1148/radiol.2531082137).
July coverage included WLS-TV (Chicago), KTLA-TV (Los Angeles), WXYZ-TV (Detroit), KSAT-TV (San Antonio), KTVK-TV (Phoenix), WFAA-TV (Dallas), WREG-TV (Memphis, Tenn.), KMPH-TV (Fresno, Calif.), Reuters, UPI, Imaging Economics, Jackson Sun (Jackson, Tenn.), MSN Health, MSNBC Online, Yahoo! News, latimes.com, usnews.com, forbes.com, ajc.com and docguide.com.
September Public Information Activities Focus on Ovarian and Prostate Cancers
In recognition of September as the awareness month for ovarian and prostate cancer, RSNA will distribute public service announcements (PSAs) focusing on:
• Symptoms of ovarian and prostate cancers
• Risk factors
• Screening methods
• Possible treatment options
In addition to PSAs, RSNA's "60-Second Checkup" radio program will focus on ovarian and prostate cancers and include such themes as prostate cancer screening and pelvic imaging in women.
