Osteoarthritis ( OA) of the knee joint is a degenerative disease characterized by primary pathological changes in cartilage，with joint pain，swelling，and restricted movement as its main clinical symptoms，significantly impacting the
quality of life for affected individuals． Magnetic resonance imaging ( MＲI) serves as the primary diagnostic tool for assessing OA cartilage degeneration． It not only detects morphological changes in cartilage but also，with the recent development of quantitative imaging techniques，evaluates alterations in the biochemical composition of cartilage． This article reviews and summarizes the research progress in MＲI quantitative imaging techniques for the early diagnosis of cartilage degeneration and injury．