Association of MRI-derived muscle-fat composition with knee osteoarthritis severity: a gender-stratified X-ray and MRI correlation study

The study examined the relationship between soft tissue changes and knee osteoarthritis severity in 232 patients using X-ray imaging and MRI. The sample consisted of 54.7% females and 45.3% males, mostly aged 30–44 years, of which 44.8% were obese. Muscle thickness remained consistent across BMI categories, with males showing higher values than females. Fat thickness increased with higher BMI, with females consistently showing greater values than males. The muscle-to-fat ratio decreased with increasing BMI. The research showed a weak negative correlation between muscle-to-fat ratio and degenerative changes. Muscle-to-fat ratio and fat thickness significantly impact knee degenerative changes, particularly in females. The combination of MRI and X-ray imaging enhances diagnostic accuracy for knee osteoarthritis.