Development of measurement of water content in articular cartilage using near infrared spectroscopy for diagnosis of osteoarthritis

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The objective of this study is to develop the method for the determination of mechanical properties of the degenerated articular cartilage through the measurement of water content. To this end, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy which can measure water content quantitatively in terms of absorbance was used. Previous studies found differences in permeability between normal articular cartilage (hyaline cartilage), and OA (osteoarthritis) cartilage (fibrocartilage), and therefore different time-dependent water content after indentation testing was expected between these two cartilages.First, this study deals with the two aspects of the detailed relations between recovery of absorbance and degeneration of human cartilage, that is, 1) relation between the degeneration of human articular cartilage and pattern of absorbance with respect to time after removal of indentation load, 2) relation between the degeneration of human articular cartilage graded by Mankin Score and variation of absorbance … More with time after removal indentation load.Second, this study discusses the decreases of absorbance for cartilages and koya-tofu during compression. The recoveries of absorbance after indentation were classified into 3 patterns. Initial decrease and the subsequent increase of absorbance (pattern 1), immediate increase of absorbance after removal of indentation load (pattern 2), and no recovery of absorbance (pattern 3) were observed. In the most of specimens graded as "normal", the recovery pattern of absorbance was "pattern 1". In the specimens of "pattern 1", the Mankin Score was able to be related to the time when absorbance had the minimum value. In the specimens of "pattern 2", the mean ± S.D. of Mankin Score was 3.6±2.0. Cartilages showed the increase of absorbance during compression, while koya-tofu showed the decrease of absorbance during compression.It is concluded that NIR spectroscopy enables us to perform the low-invasive, nondestructive and quantitative measurement of water content in articular cartilage, and this can be applied to the diagnosis of the extent of osteoarthritis. Less