Assessing the condition of a joint and devising treatment
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsEugene J. Alexander, Thomas P. Andriacchi, Philipp Lang, Daniel Steines
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods are disclosed for assessing the condition of a cartilage in a joint, particularly a human knee. The methods include converting an image such as an MRI to a three dimensional map of the cartilage. The cartilage map can be correlated to a movement pattern of the joint to assess the affect of movement on cartilage wear. Changes in the thickness of cartilage over time can be determined so that therapies can be provided. Information on thickness of cartilage and curvature of cartilage or subchondral bone can be used to plan therapy. Information on movement pattern can be used to plan therapy.
Claims33
A method of treating a human with a joint disease involving cartilage, which method comprises:
- obtaining an electronic image of said joint, wherein said image includes both normal and diseased cartilage tissue;
- electronically evaluating said image to obtain information comprising volume, area, thickness, curvature, geometry, biochemical contents, signal intensity or relaxation time of said normal or diseased tissue;
- and
- selecting a therapy based on said information.
A method of treating a human with cartilage degeneration in a joint, which method comprises:
- obtaining an electronic image of said joint, wherein said image includes both and diseased cartilage;
- electronically evaluating said image to obtain information comprising volume, area, thickness, geometry, biochemical contents or relaxation time of said normal or diseased tissue;
- and
- selecting a therapy to treat or replace said degenerated cartilage, wherein said information is used during selection of treatment or replacement therapy of said degenerated cartilage.
A method of treating a human with diseased cartilage in a joint, which method comprises:
- utilizing an MRI scan to generate a cross-sectional electronic image of said joint, wherein said image includes both normal and diseased cartilage;
- and
- utilizing information from said image to create a geometric model of an area of diseased cartilage, wherein said geometric model is used in selecting a treatment of said diseased cartilage.
A method of assessing cartilage disease in a joint, wherein the joint comprises cartilage and accompanying bones on either side of the joint, which method comprises:
- obtaining a three-dimensional map of the cartilage demonstrating the thickness or biochemical contents or relaxation time of normal and diseased cartilage;
- and
- determining the margins of the diseased cartilage in relationship to the normal cartilage in said three-dimensional map.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.