Correlation of knee‐joint cartilage morphology with muscle cross‐sectional areas vs. anthropometric variables

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that muscle cross-sectional areas (MCSAs) are more highly (and independently) correlated with cartilage morphology than are body height and weight, and that the physiological reduction of cartilage thickness with aging is associated with a proportional, age-dependent decrease in MCSAs. In 59 asymptomatic individuals (23-75 years old), morphological parameters of the knee cartilages (volume, thickness, and bonecartilage interface area), and MCSAs were determined from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Multiple regression models were used to calculate which proportion of the variability of the normal cartilage morphology can be predicted based on independent variables. MCSAs and body height and weight showed correlation coefficients of ϩ0.66, ϩ0.60, and ϩ0.25, respectively, with knee-joint cartilage volume. The correlation coefficients with cartilage thickness were ϩ0.44, ϩ0.35, and ϩ0.24, respectively. Age accounted for a significant (P Ͻ 0.01) reduction in cartilage thickness, but there was no proportional change of MCSAs. Approximately 76% of the variability of the knee cartilage volume could be predicted from independent variables in a multiple regression model with MCSAs contributing significant, independent information. In conclusion, we find that MCSAs are more highly correlated with cartilage morphology than are body height and weight. The significant decrease in cartilage volume and thickness with age is not associated with a proportional decrease in MCSAs. Anat Rec Part A 270A: 175-184, 2003.

Effectiveness of Home Exercise Program in Patientswith Knee Osteoarthritis

“…Moreover, increased mass of muscles was reported to be strongly associated with the volume of medial tibia cartilage. Hudelmaier et al also demonstrated that a positive correlation is present between mass of muscles and volume of knee cartilage (23). Therefore, muscle strengthening exercises are of crucial significance in the treatment of knee OA (22).…”

Quantitative MRI of cartilage and bone: degenerative changes in osteoarthritis

“…Interestingly, the correlation with the knee angle was stronger for the tibial than for the femoral cartilage plates 139). Although the differences exceeded the precision errors of the measurements substantially, T-scores (deviation from young, healthy volunteers of the same sex divided by the SD of values in these volunteers) were only moderate, owing to the relatively large intersubject variability in healthy volunteers (82,83,140,141). It was shown in osteotomy and TKA patients that T-scores were substantially increased when cartilage volume (VC) was normalized to the total area of subchondral bone (VCtAB) and that the normalization was more effective than normalization to body weight or height (89).…”

A comparison of the influence of global functional loads vs. local contact anatomy on articular cartilage thickness at the knee

“…For example, increased physical activity was positively associated with increased knee articular cartilage volume in a cross-sectional study (Jones et al, 2000) and a longitudinal study (Jones et al, 2003) of healthy children, implying that loading has a positive effect on the articular cartilage of healthy population. Similarly, larger muscle cross-sectional areas were positively associated with increased knee articular cartilage volumes in healthy subjects (Hudelmaier et al, 2003). More specifically mechanical loads during walking have been shown to have a positive influence on healthy cartilage .…”