osteoarthritis

[boxer08]

Iv'e had a mri and x-ray on my shoulder, if i had osteoarthritis in there would it show up on these scans.

[tboney]

I believe so. Particularly if it is advanced.

[boxer08]

What about if it is in early stages. Would one of them shown anything up.

[Kratos]

No, current diagnostic methods don't detect osteoarthritis until it's in advanced stages. There is a new test they can do using an MRI. In this new test, MRI is used to determine the concentration of a polymer called glycosaminogycan (GAG), a recognized biomarker for both osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease. It's known that a low concentration of GAG is associated with the onset of osteoarthritis and other cartilage disorders.

[tboney]

I couldnt really say. I dont know how early clear signs can be seen. Im sure there are some guys here who could give you a more definitive answer.