Osteoarthritis year 2010 in review: imaging

Osteoarthritis (OA) is no longer viewed as a passive, degenerative disorder, but rather an active disease process driven primarily by mechanical factors. OA should also be conceptualized as a disease of a whole joint organ, and therefore imaging of OA requires techniques which enable us to visualize the whole joint organ. Although clinical decision making based on imaging findings remains controversial the importance of imaging-derived data in OA research cannot be overemphasized. Since mid-2009, numerous publications reporting on imaging-oriented studies on OA have been reported. These include magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of numerous features of the whole joint such as synovitis, subchondral bone, meniscus, cartilage and cyst-like lesions. Active research is also ongoing using conventional radiography with a focus on measurements of joint space width and alignment of the knee joint. Ultrasound is emerging as a useful imaging technique, particularly in the field of hand OA research. As the importance of imaging-derived data increases, all potential authors are advised that they should seek opinions from expert musculoskeletal radiologist to ascertain the application of correct imaging techniques, especially the MR pulse sequences and image interpretation. The peer-review process of OA imaging in any journal, therefore, should involve musculoskeletal radiologists experienced in OA research to ensure the publication of papers with scientifically sound contents.     

Osteoarthritis year 2010 in review: genetics

At the 2010 Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) congress in Brussels I was asked to present on "Genetics" in the "Year in Review" session. This gave me an opportunity to reflect on the talk that I gave on the same topic at the 2007 OARSI congress in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. My 2007 talk was very upbeat and ended with the hostage to fortune statement "The next few years will provide tremendous clarity in our genetic understanding of osteoarthritis".     

Osteoarthritis year 2010 in review: biochemical markers

At the 2010 Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) congress in Brussels I was asked to present on "Biochemical Markers" in the "Year in Review" session. This provided an opportunity to summarize ongoing work and consensus building in the osteoarthritis research community related to osteoarthritis biomarkers, and second, and an opportunity to briefly overview a subset of studies from the previous 12 months related to soluble biomarkers that provided novel insights in the field. This review therefore briefly summarizes the progress in 2010 of the OARSI OA Biomarkers Global Initiative and the OARSI FDA Biomarkers Working Group, and provides a summary of selected osteoarthritis biomarker studies reported over the previous 12 months based on a review of articles from seven musculoskeletal journals and a PubMed search using the terms biomarkers and osteoarthritis.     

Osteoarthritis year 2010 in review: pharmacological therapies

This review highlights a selection of original studies related to the treatment of osteoarthritis in 2010.     

Osteoarthritis year 2011 in review: biology

This review is focused on advances in understanding the biology of joint homeostasis and osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis mechanisms that have led to proof of concept studies on new therapeutic approaches. The three selected topics include angiogenesis in joint tissues, biomechanics and joint lubrication and mitochondrial dysfunction. This new information represents progress in the integration of mechanisms that control multiple aspects of OA pathophysiology.