A preliminary study on the use of EEMD-RQA algorithms in the detection of degenerative changes in knee joints

摘要

Degenerative changes, according to world literature, are one of the key reasons for disability, especially in the elderly population. Diagnosis and monitoring of the disease consist mainly in clinical examination, bedside interviews and imaging. However, during the healing process, there is currently no tool for fast, cheap, easily available and diagnostics that would be free from ionising radiation and that would enable evaluation of the course of the disease. Therefore, the scientific community is searching for new diagnostic methods, with the potential for wide application in medicine. Registration and analysis of knee joint vibration signals presents a chance for more accurate and faster diagnostics. The method is capable of detecting damage at an early stage, while specifying the selection of optimal treatment methods. Therefore, it seems crucial to develop methods of analysis appropriate for the nature of tested signals. The quality of low-frequency natural waveforms can be improved by filtration in selected bands, eliminating existing artefacts. This paper presents an application of the EEMD-RQA algorithm in the detection of degenerative changes in knee joints. Pre-processing in the form of filtration gives the opportunity to pre-test the usefulness of the algorithm RQA in the ability to create/subsequent development of indicators describing the condition of the joint surfaces examined without the need for surgical intervention.