Human knees (
The inter-observer variability among five observers for the MANKIN system showed a similar good Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC > 0.81) as for the OARSI system (ICC > 0.78). Repeat scoring by three of the five readers showed very good agreement (ICC > 0.94). Both systems showed a high reproducibility among four of the five readers as indicated by the Spearman鈥檚 rho value. For the MANKIN system, the surface represented by lesion depth was the parameter where all readers showed an excellent agreement. Other parameters such as cellularity, Safranin O staining intensity and tidemark had greater inter-reader disagreement.
Both scoring systems were reliable but appeared too complex and time consuming for assessment of lesion severity, the major parameter determined in standardized scoring systems. To聽rapidly and reproducibly assess severity of cartilage degradation, we propose to develop a simplified system for lesion volume.