Femoral cartilage thickness measurements in healthy individuals: Learning, practicing and publishing with TURK-MUSCULUS

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Özçakar, Levent^{a; *} | Tunç, Hakan^b | Öken, Öznur^b | Ünlü, Zeliha^c | Durmuş, Bekir^d | Baysal, Özlem^d | Altay, Zuhal^d | Tok, Fatih^e | Akkaya, Nuray^f | Doğu, Beril^g | Çapkın, Erhan^h | Bardak, Ayşenurⁱ | Çarlı, Alparslan Bayram^j | Buğdaycı, Deryaⁱ | Toktaş, Hasan^k | Dıraçoğlu, Demirhan^l | Gündüz, Berrinⁱ | Erhan, Belginⁱ | Kocabaş, Hilal^m | Erden, Gülⁿ | Günendi, Zafer^o | Kesikburun, Serdar^e | Omaç, Özlem Köroğlu^e | Taşkaynatan, Mehmet Ali^e | Şenel, Kazım^p | Uğur, Mahir^p | Yalçınkaya, Ebru Yılmazⁱ | Öneş, Kadriyeⁱ | Atan, Çiğdem^o | Akgün, Kenanⁿ | Bilgici, Ayhan^q | Kuru, Ömer^q | Özgöçmen, Salih^r

Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey | [b] PMR Clinic, Ankara PMR Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey | [c] Department of PMR, Celal Bayar University Medical School, Manisa, Turkey | [d] Department of PMR, Inönü University Medical School, Malatya, Turkey | [e] Department of PMR, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey | [f] Department of PMR, Pamukkale University Medical School, Denizli, Turkey | [g] PMR Clinic, Şişli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey | [h] Department of PMR, Karadeniz Technical University Medical School, Trabzon, Turkey | [i] PMR Clinic, Istanbul PMR Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey | [j] Department of PMR, GATA Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey | [k] Department of PMR, Afyon Kocatepe University Medical School, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey | [l] Department of PMR, Istanbul University Istanbul Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey | [m] PMR Clinic, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey | [n] Department of PMR, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey | [o] Department of PMR, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey | [p] Department of PMR, Atatürk University Medical School, Erzurum, Turkey | [q] Department of PMR, Ondokuz Mayıs University Medical School, Samsun, Turkey | [r] Division of Rheumatology, Department of PMR, Erciyes University Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Levent Özçakar, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Hastaneleri Zemin Kat FTR AD, Sıhhıye, Ankara, Turkey. Tel.: +90 312 3094142; Fax: +90 312 3105769; E-mail: lozcakar@yahoo.com

Abstract: Background and Objectives:Measurement of the femoral cartilage thickness by using in-vivo musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) has been previously shown to be a valid and reliable method in previous studies; however, to our best notice, normative data has not been provided before in the healthy population.The aim of our study was to provide normative data regarding femoral cartilage thicknesses of healthy individuals with collaborative use of MSUS. Methods:This is across-sectional study run at Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Departments of 18 Secondary and Tertiary Centers in Turkey. 1544 healthy volunteers (aged between 25–40 years) were recruited within the collaboration of TURK-MUSCULUS (Turkish Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography Study Group). Subjects who had a body mass index value of less than 30 and who did not have signs and symptoms of any degenerative/inflammatory arthritis or other rheumatic diseases, history of knee trauma and previous knee surgery were enrolled. Ultrasonographic measurements were performed axially from the suprapatellar window by using linear probes while subjects’ knees were in maximum flexion. Three (mid-point) measurements were taken from both knees (lateral condyle, intercondylar area, medial condyle). Results:A total of 2876 knees (of 817 M, 621 F subjects) were taken into analysis after exclusion of inappropriate images. Mean cartilage thicknesses were significantly lower in females than males (all p< 0.001). Thickness values negatively correlated with age; negatively (females) and positively (males) correlated with smoking. Men who regularly exercised had thicker cartilage than who did not exercise (all p < 0.05). Increased age (in both sexes) and absence of exercise (males) were found to be risk factors for decreased cartilage thicknesses. Conclusion:Further data pertaining to other countries would be interesting to uncover whether ethnic differences also affect cartilage thickness. Collaborative use of MSUS seems to be promising in this regard.

Keywords: Knee, femoral cartilage, thickness, ultrasonography, smoking, exercise

DOI: 10.3233/BMR-130441

Journal: Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 117-124, 2014