Characterizing Knee Pain and Response to Surgery Using Local Biomarkers

The diagnosis and monitoring of clinically-significant pathologies of the knee remains challenging, and it is unknown why only some injuries become painful or respond to surgical intervention. The limitations of diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging result in arthroscopy that is not always beneficial. Elucidation of biochemical pathways underlying pain in this condition may aid patient selection for surgery and provide pharmacotherapeutic targets. Cytokines or a novel yet uncharacterized protein may be involved in pain following meniscus injury and diagnostic cytokine assay may help physicians differentiate patients that may benefit from arthroscopy from those that may not. Additionally, evaluating post-operative biochemical profiles may provide a method of monitoring surgical outcome and understanding post-operative continuation or remission of pain.