Abstract
BackgroundHyaline cartilage calcification (CC) is associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in hip and knee joints. The first metatarsophalangeal joint (1stMTPJ) is frequently affected by OA, but it is unclear if CC occurs in the 1stMTPJ. The aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of CC of the 1stMTPJ in the general population by high-resolution digital contact radiography (DCR) and to determine its association with histological OA severity, age and body mass index (BMI).Methods168 metatarsal heads of 84 donors (n = 47 male, n = 37 female; mean age 62.73 years, SD ±18.8, range 20–93) were analyzed by DCR for the presence of CC. Histological OA grade (hOA) by OARSI was analyzed in the central load-bearing zone of the first metatarsal head (1st MH). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to analyze the interrelationship between CC, hOA, age and BMI.ResultsThe prevalence of CC of 1stMH was 48.8 % (41/84) (95 %-CI [37.7 %, 60.0 %]), independent of the affected side (p = 0.42), gender (p = 0.41) and BMI (p = 0.51). The mean amount of CC of one MH correlated significantly with that of the contralateral side (rs = 0.4, 95 %-CI [0.26, 0.52], p < 0.001). The mean amount of CC (in % of total cartilage area) of the MH correlated significantly with the severity of hOA (rs = 0.51, 95 %-CI [0.32, 0.65], p < 0.001). SEM revealed significant associations between CC and hOA (r = 0.74, p < 0.001) and between hOA and age (β = 0.62, p = 0.001), but not between CC and age (p = 0.15). There was no significant influence of BMI on either CC (p = 0.37) or hOA (p = 0.16).ConclusionThe observation that CC of the 1stMH is significantly associated with the severity of OA but independent of age and BMI, suggests an intimate relationship between CC and the pathogenesis of OA, the exact nature of which will have to be explored by future studies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12891-016-1324-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Hyaline cartilage calcification (CC) is associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in hip and knee joints
Calcifications of the hyaline cartilage could be detected as radiopaque spots within the surrounding cartilage matrix
The mean amount of total cartilage calcification in % of total cartilage area for each metatarsal head (MH) was measured by image-analysis software (ImageJ 1.46, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA) as described previously [22, 40]
Summary
Hyaline cartilage calcification (CC) is associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in hip and knee joints. The aim of the present study was to analyze the prevalence of CC of the 1stMTPJ in the general population by high-resolution digital contact radiography (DCR) and to determine its association with histological OA severity, age and body mass index (BMI). One reason for foot pain is osteoarthritis (OA) [1,2,3], in particular of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (1st MTPJ) [4, 5]. The visualization of articular cartilage calcification is technically difficult and the sensitivity of detection strongly depends on the applied imaging method [22, 23]. Work from our group has previously demonstrated deposition of cartilage calcification in 100 % of severely osteoarthritic hip and knee joints [22, 31]. It remains unclear whether cartilage calcification represents a simple epiphenomenon of ageing or whether there is a causal relationship between cartilage calcification and OA [36]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
