Article

OBJECTIVE: To assess femoral cartilage thickness in patients with spinal cord
injury (SCI). SUBJECTS: Forty-six patients with SCI (35 men, 11 women; mean age:
33.6 years (standard deviation 8.1) and 46 age-, sex- and body mass index
(BMI)-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. METHODS: Patients were evaluated
with the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale, Modified
Ashworth Scale, Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury, and Functional Independence
Measurement. Mid-point ultrasonographic femoral cartilage thickness measurements
were taken from the right lateral condyle, right intercondylar area, right medial
condyle, left medial condyle, left intercondylar area and left lateral condyle.
RESULTS: Ultrasonographic measurements revealed significantly thicker values in
the intercondylar areas (bilaterally) and the medial condyle (left knee) of
patients with SCI compared with those of controls. When the subgroups were
compared with their paired healthy controls, measurements pertaining to the motor
complete group were found to be significantly thicker in the intercondylar areas
(bilaterally) and the medial condyle (left knee). Cartilage thickness values
correlated negatively with the duration of immobilization (for bilateral
intercondylar areas), and with BMI and ASIA level (for bilateral lateral
condyles). CONCLUSION: Femoral cartilage thicknesses were found to change after
SCI, and to have a negative correlation with disease duration and severity.
Future studies including histological evaluations may elucidate whether such
changes are favourable for the knee joints of patients with spinal cord injury.
- Fémur

Langue : ANGLAIS