Refereed journal article or data article (A1)
Ultrasonographic Assessment of the Normal Femoral Articular Cartilage of the Knee Joint: Comparison with 3D MRI
List of Authors: Kauppinen Kyösti, Casula Victor, Zbýň Štefan, Blanco Sequeiros Roberto, Saarakkala Simo S, Nevalainen Mika T
Publication year: 2021
Journal: ScientificWorld Journal
Journal name in source: TheScientificWorldJournal
Journal acronym: ScientificWorldJournal
Volume number: 2021
ISSN: 1537-744X
eISSN: 1537-744X
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/9978819
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/67443026
Objective
Ultrasonography (US) has a promising role in evaluating the knee joint, but capability to visualize the femoral articular cartilage needs systematic evaluation. We measured the extent of this acoustic window by comparing standardized US images with the corresponding MRI views of the femoral cartilage.
Design
Ten healthy volunteers without knee pathology underwent systematic US and MRI evaluation of both knees. The femoral cartilage was assessed on the oblique transverse axial plane with US and with 3D MRI. The acoustic window on US was compared to the corresponding views of the femoral sulcus and both condyles on MRI. The mean imaging coverage of the femoral cartilage and the cartilage thickness measurements on US and MRI were compared.
Results
Mean imaging coverage of the cartilage of the medial femoral condyle was 66% (range 54%–80%) and on the lateral femoral condyle 37% (range 25%–51%) compared with MRI. Mean cartilage thickness measurement in the femoral sulcus was 3.17 mm with US and 3.61 mm with MRI (14.0% difference). The corresponding measurements in the medial femoral condyle were 1.95 mm with US and 2.35 mm with MRI (21.0% difference), and in the lateral femoral condyle, they were 2.17 mm and 2.73 mm (25.6% difference), respectively.
Conclusion
Two-thirds of the articular cartilage of the medial femoral condyle, and one-third in the lateral femoral condyle, can be assessed with US. The cartilage thickness measurements seem to be underestimated by US. These results show promise for the evaluation of the weight-bearing cartilage of the medial femoral condyle with US.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |