Application of optical coherence tomography enhances reproducibility of arthroscopic evaluation of equine joints.
Abstract: Arthroscopy is widely used in various equine joints for diagnostic and surgical purposes. However, accuracy of defining the extent of cartilage lesions and reproducibility in grading of lesions are not optimal. Therefore, there is a need for new, more quantitative arthroscopic methods. Arthroscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging is a promising tool introduced for quantitative detection of cartilage degeneration and scoring of the severity of chondral lesions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-investigator agreement and inter-method agreement in grading cartilage lesions by means of conventional arthroscopy and with OCT technique. For this aim, 41 cartilage lesions based on findings in conventional and OCT arthroscopy in 14 equine joints were imaged, blind coded and independently ICRS (International Cartilage Repair Society) scored by three surgeons and one PhD-student. Results: The intra- and inter-investigator percentages of agreement by means of OCT (68.9% and 43.9%, respectively) were higher than those based on conventional arthroscopic imaging (56.7% and 31.7%, respectively). The intra-investigator Kappa coefficients were 0.709 and 0.565 for OCT and arthroscopy, respectively. Inter-investigator Kappa coefficients were 0.538 and 0.408 for OCT and arthroscopy, respectively. Conclusions: OCT can enhance reproducibility of arthroscopic evaluation of equine joints.
Publication Date: 2014-01-10 PubMed ID: 24410869PubMed Central: PMC3901375DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-56-3Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This study evaluates a technique called optical coherence tomography (OCT) in improving the accuracy of identifying and grading cartilage lesions during arthroscopy in horses. The researchers found that OCT produced more consistent results across different investigators, suggesting an increased precision in grading cartilage injuries and potentially improving equine joint treatments.
Research Objectives
- The main objective of the study was to examine the potential of Arthroscopic Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), a new imaging technique, in enhancing the accuracy and reproducibility of arthroscopic evaluation of equine joints.
- In particular, the study aimed to evaluate the inter-investigator agreement, which refers to the consistency of results from different investigators, and the inter-method agreement, the consistency in findings from conventional arthroscopy and those from OCT.
Methodology
- The researchers used 41 cartilage lesions from 14 equine joints for this study.
- These lesions were imaged using conventional arthroscopy and OCT, blind-coded, and then ICRS (International Cartilage Repair Society) scored by three separate surgeons and a PhD student. The ICRS score describes the condition of the cartilage.
- The investigators then compared the ICRS scores determined by different evaluators, as well as those judged via the two different methods.
Results
- The percentages of agreement, both intra- and inter-investigator, were higher for OCT than the conventional arthroscopic process. Intra-investigator agreement refers to consistency in an individual’s evaluation across different methods, while inter-investigator agreement involves consistency across different individuals using the same method.
- Agreement percentages involving OCT were 68.9% (intra) and 43.9% (inter). In contrast, those from conventional arthroscopy were 56.7% and 31.7% respectively.
- The Kappa coefficients for OCT were also higher than those for conventional arthroscopy, indicating more consistency in OCT results across different investigators.
Conclusions
- The results of the study suggest that OCT enhances the reproducibility of arthroscopic evaluations in equine joints, therefore improving the quantitative measurement and detection of cartilage degeneration.
- This could potentially improve the accuracy of diagnoses, subsequently enhancing the quality of treatments available for joint cartilage issues in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Niemelä T, Virén T, Liukkonen J, Argüelles D, te Moller NC, Puhakka PH, Jurvelin JS, Tulamo RM, Töyräs J.
(2014).
Application of optical coherence tomography enhances reproducibility of arthroscopic evaluation of equine joints.
Acta Vet Scand, 56(1), 3.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-56-3 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. tytti.niemela@helsinki.fi.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arthroscopy / methods
- Arthroscopy / veterinary
- Cadaver
- Cartilage Diseases / pathology
- Cartilage Diseases / veterinary
- Cartilage, Articular / pathology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Severity of Illness Index
- Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods
- Tomography, Optical Coherence / veterinary
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