Radiographic classification of osteoarthritis

Radiographic systems to classify osteoarthritis vary by which joint is being investigated.

In osteoarthritis, the choice of treatment is based on pain and decreased function, but radiography can be useful before surgery in order to prepare for the procedure.

[10] It was formed by a group of knee surgeons from Europe and America who met in 1987 to develop a standard form to measure results of knee ligament reconstructions.

[10] Systems that have been found to have lower interobserver precision and/or arthroscopy correlation are those developed by Kellgren and Lawrence, Fairbank, Brandt, and Jäger and Wirth.

[10] For the patellofemoral joint, a classification by Merchant 1974 uses a 45° "skyline" view of the patella:[13]