Interobserver reproducibility of quantitative meniscus analysis using coronal multiplanar DESS and IWTSE MR imaging

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the interobserver reproducibility of quantitative measures of meniscus size and position, and to compare the interobserver reproducibility and agreement between a double echo steady state water excitation and an intermediately-weighted turbo spin-echo sequence. Eight knees (four healthy, four with radiographic knee osteoarthritis) from the Osteoarthritis Initiative cohort were studied. Manual segmentation of the menisci was performed by three observers and quantitative measures of meniscus size and position (i.e., extrusion) computed using image analysis software. The root mean square interobserver reproducibility error (e.g., 5.4% for medial meniscus volume with double echo steady state and 8.4% with intermediately-weighted turbo spin-echo) was found considerably smaller than the intersubject variability (average ratio ~1:3). The lowest interobserver reproducibility error for meniscus extrusion was obtained for the central five coronal slices across the tibial surface. Quantitative meniscus measures from double echo steady state and intermediately-weighted turbo spin-echo were highly correlated (r = 0.71 to 0.99 for the medial meniscus).