3D morphometric analysis of calcified cartilage properties using micro-computed tomography

S Kauppinen; S S Karhula; J Thevenot; T Ylitalo; L Rieppo; I Kestilä; M Haapea; I Hadjab; M A Finnilä; E Quenneville; M Garon; H K Gahunia; K P H Pritzker; M D Buschmann; S Saarakkala; H J Nieminen

doi:10.1016/j.joca.2018.09.009

3D morphometric analysis of calcified cartilage properties using micro-computed tomography

Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2019 Jan;27(1):172-180. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2018.09.009. Epub 2018 Oct 1.

Authors

S Kauppinen¹, S S Karhula², J Thevenot³, T Ylitalo⁴, L Rieppo⁵, I Kestilä⁶, M Haapea⁷, I Hadjab⁸, M A Finnilä⁹, E Quenneville¹⁰, M Garon¹¹, H K Gahunia¹², K P H Pritzker¹³, M D Buschmann¹⁴, S Saarakkala¹⁵, H J Nieminen¹⁶

Affiliations

¹ Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: sami.kauppinen@oulu.fi.
² Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Infotech, University of Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: sakari.karhula@oulu.fi.
³ Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Infotech, University of Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: jerome.thevenot@oulu.fi.
⁴ Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: tuomo.ylitalo@helsinki.fi.
⁵ Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: lassi.rieppo@oulu.fi.
⁶ Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: iida.kestila@oulu.fi.
⁷ Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: marianne.haapea@oulu.fi.
⁸ Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Biomomentum Inc., 970 Michelin St., Suite 200, Laval, Quebec H7L 5C1, Canada. Electronic address: insaf.hadjab@polymtl.ca.
⁹ Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: mikko.finnila@oulu.fi.
¹⁰ Biomomentum Inc., 970 Michelin St., Suite 200, Laval, Quebec H7L 5C1, Canada. Electronic address: quenneville@biomomentum.com.
¹¹ Biomomentum Inc., 970 Michelin St., Suite 200, Laval, Quebec H7L 5C1, Canada. Electronic address: garon@biomomentum.com.
¹² Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: pvgahunia@hotmail.com.
¹³ Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: kenpritzker@gmail.com.
¹⁴ Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: michael.buschmann@polymtl.ca.
¹⁵ Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: simo.saarakkala@oulu.fi.
¹⁶ Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland. Electronic address: heikki.j.nieminen@aalto.fi.

PMID: 30287395
DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2018.09.009

Abstract

Objective: Our aim is to establish methods for quantifying morphometric properties of calcified cartilage (CC) from micro-computed tomography (μCT). Furthermore, we evaluated the feasibility of these methods in investigating relationships between osteoarthritis (OA), tidemark surface morphology and open subchondral channels (OSCCs).

Method: Samples (n = 15) used in this study were harvested from human lateral tibial plateau (n = 8). Conventional roughness and parameters assessing local 3-dimensional (3D) surface variations were used to quantify the surface morphology of the CC. Subchondral channel properties (percentage, density, size) were also calculated. As a reference, histological sections were evaluated using Histopathological osteoarthritis grading (OARSI) and thickness of CC and subchondral bone (SCB) was quantified.

Results: OARSI grade correlated with a decrease in local 3D variations of the tidemark surface (amount of different surface patterns (r_s = -0.600, P = 0.018), entropy of patterns (EP) (r_s = -0.648, P = 0.018), homogeneity index (HI) (r_s = 0.555, P = 0.032)) and tidemark roughness (TMR) (r_s = -0.579, P = 0.024). Amount of different patterns (ADP) and EP associated with channel area fraction (CAF) (r_p = 0.876, P < 0.0001; r_p = 0.665, P = 0.007, respectively) and channel density (CD) (r_p = 0.680, P = 0.011; r_p = 0.582, P = 0.023, respectively). TMR was associated with CAF (r_p = 0.926, P < 0.0001) and average channel size (r_p = 0.574, P = 0.025). CC topography differed statistically significantly in early OA vs healthy samples.

Conclusion: We introduced a μ-CT image method to quantify 3D CC topography and perforations through CC. CC topography was associated with OARSI grade and OSCC properties; this suggests that the established methods can detect topographical changes in tidemark and CC perforations associated with OA.

Keywords: Calcified cartilage; Micro-computed tomography; Morphology; Osteoarthritis; Roughness; Tidemark.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Cadaver
Calcinosis / diagnostic imaging*
Calcinosis / etiology
Calcinosis / pathology
Cartilage, Articular / diagnostic imaging*
Cartilage, Articular / pathology
Humans
Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods
Middle Aged
Osteoarthritis, Knee / complications
Osteoarthritis, Knee / diagnostic imaging*
Osteoarthritis, Knee / pathology
Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods
Severity of Illness Index
X-Ray Microtomography / methods

Grants and funding

336267/ERC_/European Research Council/International