A method for determining a presence of arthritis in a patient, including obtaining a first image of a patient's joint, wherein the first image is a visible light image, obtaining a second image of the patient's joint, wherein the second image is a thermal light image, determining an outline of the patient's joint from the first image, determining an outline of a reference area from the first image, wherein the patient's joint is adjacent to the reference area, determining a first representative topological temperature within the outline of the patient's joint of the first image from the second image, determining a second representative topological temperature within the outline of the reference area of the first image from the second image, comparing the first representative topological temperature and the second representative topological temperature; and determining a likelihood of the presence of arthritis within the patient's joint.