Prevalence of ultrasound-detected knee synovial features in the general population: Xiangya osteoarthritis (XO) study

Abstract

Purpose: Synovial hypertrophy and joint effusion are two synovial changes that may associated with pain in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Most previous population studies have used radiographs as the imaging modality for KOA; however, radiographs are unable to assess synovial hypertrophy and effusion. Compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasonography (US) is a less expensive and more accessible imaging modality. Moreover, previous studies have shown that US has similar accuracy as MRI in assessment of synovial hypertrophy and joint effusion in people with symptomatic KOA.