The BBC reported this week on a non-invasive device that can detect early-stage osteoarthritis using sound. Researchers at the universities of Lancaster and Central Lancashire have developed acoustic techniques that can detect changes in the normal patterns of sounds in the knee, which the developers say can predict the onset of osteoarthritis.
In the prototype, two leads are simply taped to a patient's knee, and the device picks up on sounds that come from sitting and standing. Data on an early version of the device published in the journal Medical Engineering and Physics last year indicated that "osteoarthritic knees are found to produce six to ten times more acoustic emissions than healthy knees, with amplitudes which can be 20dB higher and durations which can be 10 times longer."
The researchers suggest that the device could help observe changes in the knee before the symptoms of OA occur, allowing for earlier treatment intervention. Additionally, the device could offer the benefit of being "cheap and practical" for practitioners and hospitals.
