Ultrasound measurement of femoral cartilage thickness in the knee of healthy young university students

Abstract

Background and objectiveArticular cartilage (AC) is always affected in any joint with osteoarthritis. Ultrasound can be a useful tool in monitoring changes in the AC. The purpose of the present study is to ultrasound measure the thickness of the AC in the distal femur in young students and determine its relationship with body mass index (BMI), muscle mass, body fat and sports practice. Materials and methodsAn observational cross-sectional study was conducted with healthy volunteers, between 15 and 25 years old. Anthropometric data were collected and the thickness of the femoral cartilage of the knee was measured at 5 points. In addition, the percentage of muscle and body fat was measured in a subgroup. Results100 subjects were included in the study. The average age was 20 years (± 2.5). The average BMI was 23kg/m2 (± 3.1). AC was thicker in men and sportsmen, versus women and sedentary people, with a statistically significant difference. When comparing BMI with AC thickness no significant relationship was found; however, only 2 participants had BMI > 30. ConclusionsCartilage thickness has a direct relationship with the percentage of muscle, and inversely with the percentage of fat. BMI is not a good parameter when evaluating the dynamic behaviour of cartilage in non-obese youths.