Computer Vision News - August 2021

2 Summary 16 AI for Medical Imaging Hyaline cartilage and chondral lesions Articular cartilage plays an essential role in protecting the end of bones and transmitting forces across joints, such as the hip, knee, or ankle joints. The surface of articular cartilage consists of hyaline cartilage , which provides a smooth, low-friction surface for the transmission of forces through joints. The name ‘hyaline’ cartilage is derived fromthe glass-likeproperties associated with its collagen-rich structure, including firmness, smoothness, and translucence. Nonetheless, because articular cartilage is avascular (contains no blood vessels), its capacity for healing and regeneration is very limited. As a result, chondral (or osteochondral) lesions are a common occurrence, appearing in up to 60% of knees undergoing arthroscopy. Chondral lesions are particularly prevalent among athletes in sports that involve repeated stress and strain on the joints. Left untreated, these lesions can not only limit the athlete’s ability to participate in sports, but they can also affect daily activities and lead to degenerative changes and premature osteoarthritis. Treating cartilage damage A variety of conservational treatments for chondral lesions exists, including the following surgical procedures: • Micro-fracture (MF)- the goal of this surgical procedure is to restore the cartilage surface to its healthy state using bone marrow stimulation. MF is suitable for small chondral lesions (less than 25 mm in diameter) and it is usually the first line of treatment. • Mosaicplasty and osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS)- these surgical procedures entail harvesting and transferring small, cylindrical osteochondral grafts (2.7 to 8.5 mm in diameter). These grafts are harvested from non-weight-bearing areas and transplanted in the damaged or defected regions. • Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI)- an advanced surgical procedure that entails harvesting cartilage grafts, growing Assessing Articular Cartilage Health Using MRI Segmentation