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Microphone technique can hear arthritic knees

17/10/2019

Tiny microphones could provide invaluable insights into a person’s knee health, a new study suggests. According to researchers, arthritic knees are ‘noisy’ and emit telltale sounds - but sounds that can only be heard by microphones. The waveforms emitted by the noisy knees can then be analysed by computers to provide insights into the health of the knee. The researchers say the technology – similar to the kind used by engineers to listen for faults in bridges - can be used to better diagnose conditions like osteoarthritis and help develop better treatments as a result. For the study - conducted by a team from Lancaster University, the University of Central Lancashire and Manchester University – patients with osteoarthritis were asked to stand up and down five times, while acoustic signals from their knees were captured by the microphones. The theory behind the trial is that knees which are functioning normally should act like smooth and well-lubricated engineering structures, emitting very little in the way of noise. In comparison, rough and poorly-lubricated surfaces (arthritic knees) would generate acoustic signals. The trial found that the microphone technique could distinguish between the two different types of knee, thus offering a solution that did not involve an X-ray. Publishing its findings in the journal PLOS ONE, the research team said the more noisy the knee, the more severe the osteoarthritis. However, they did admit that more research and larger-scale trials are needed so the technique can be developed further.

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