Degenerative joint disease remains a leading cause of global disability, with early diagnosis posing a significant clinical challenge due to its gradual onset and symptom overlap with other musculoskeletal disorders. This review focuses on emerging diagnostic strategies by synthesizing evidence specifically from studies that integrate biochemical biomarkers, advanced imaging techniques, and machine learning models relevant to osteoarthritis. We evaluate the diagnostic utility of cartilage degradation markers (e.g., CTX-II, COMP), inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, TNF-α), and synovial fluid microRNA profiles, and how they correlate with quantitative imaging readouts from T2-mapping MRI, ultrasound elastography, and dual-energy CT. Furthermore, we highlight recent developments in radiomics and AI-driven image interpretation to assess joint space narrowing, osteophyte formation, and subchondral bone changes with high fidelity. The integration of these datasets using multimodal learning approaches offers novel diagnostic phenotypes that stratify patients by disease stage and risk of progression. Finally, we explore the implementation of these tools in point-of-care diagnostics, including portable imaging devices and rapid biomarker assays, particularly in aging and underserved populations. By presenting a unified diagnostic pipeline, this article advances the future of early detection and personalized monitoring in joint degeneration.

Cubital tunnel syndrome is the second most common upper extremity neuropathy and is frequently managed with surgical decompression. While gender disparities have been shown to extend into Medicare reimbursement rates, this has not yet been evaluated among surgeons performing cubital tunnel surgery. This study examines trends among surgeon gender and geographical regions in cubital tunnel surgery volume, reimbursement rates, and patient demographics from 2013 to 2022. The "Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners-by Provider and Service" dataset was queried for billings of cubital tunnel surgery from 2013 to 2022. Reimbursement rates, surgery volume, patient demographics, and surgeon characteristics were extracted for analysis. The Welch t-test was used to assess for differences based on surgeon gender. From 2013 to 2022, female surgeons performed 8.5% of the 60,029 cubital tunnel surgeries billed to Medicare Part B, with the overall proportion of female surgeons increasing from 4.6% to 9.9%. The largest growth occurred in the Midwest, while there were declines in the Northeast and West. Female surgeons saw a 282.5% increase in surgeries compared to 53.3% for males, and the number of surgeries per female surgeon rose by 30.9%. Patient demographics did not significantly differ over the study period. Reimbursement decreased for all surgeons, with males seeing a 17.7% decrease and females 20.3%, averaging $435 for males and $435.35 for females (P = .97). Female surgeons treated 26.64% more Medicare beneficiaries, while males treated 3.5% fewer beneficiaries; however, differences in beneficiaries and surgeries per surgeon seen in 2013 had equalized by 2022 (2013, P = .02; 2022, P = .278). Female surgeon representation in cubital tunnel surgeries increased from 2013 to 2022 but remains under 10%. Though reimbursement does not differ by gender, disparities in procedural volume and regional representation highlight the need to understand systemic and institutional factors to promote equity.