Imaging Fundamentals for Osteoarthritis in 2026

MRI plays a pivotal role in osteoarthritis by evaluating the whole joint with direct 3D cartilage assessment; advanced compositional MRI and high-resolution morphological imaging will expand clinical utility with emerging disease-modifying therapies.

• Radiography, despite its limitations, remains the most common clinic modality, while MRI is central for whole-joint and cartilage evaluation.
• Ultrasound serves as an important adjunct, and CT-based technologies (weight-bearing CT, photon counting) are advancing but currently have limited roles.
• The integration of compositional MRI techniques will be essential for monitoring response to future structure-/disease-modifying therapies.

Automated summary

RadPigeon summaries are original and for information only. They are not clinical advice.