Biomedical subjects

F Eckstein

Publications and source records attributed to F Eckstein.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Accuracy and test-retest precision of quantitative cartilage morphology on a 1.0 T peripheral magnetic resonance imaging system.

OBJECTIVE: Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) of knee cartilage morphology is a powerful research tool but relies on expensive and often inaccessible 1.5 T whole-body equipment. Here we examine the reproducibility and accuracy of qMRI at 1.0 T by direct comparison with previously validated technology. METHODS: Coronal images of the knee were obtained in six healthy and six osteoarthritic participants. Two data sets were acquired with a 1.5T whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and two with a 1.0 T peripheral MRI system, with repositioning between scans. Proprietary software was used to analyze surface area, volume, and thickness of femoral and tibial cartilage. RESULTS: At 1.0 T, precision errors for surface areas (root-mean-square (RMS) coefficient of variation (CV%)=1.7-2.6%) were higher than those at 1.5 T (1.0-2.1%). For volume and thickness, precision errors were 2.9-5.5% at 1.0 T compared to 1.6-3.4% at 1.5 T. High levels of agreement were found between the two scanners over all plates. With the exception of lateral femoral cartilage (volume and thickness), no statistically significant systematic bias was found between 1.0 T and 1.5 T. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported study to show that knee cartilage morphology can be determined with a reasonable degree of accuracy and precision using a 1.0 T peripheral scanner. Peripheral MRI is less costly, can be performed in clinical offices, and is associated with higher patient comfort and tolerance than 1.5 T whole-body MRI. Implementation of qMRI with peripheral systems may thus permit its more widespread use in clinical research and patient care.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

MRI protocols for whole-organ assessment of the knee in osteoarthritis.

One of the critical challenges in developing structure-modifying therapies for arthritis, especially osteoarthritis (OA), is measuring changes in progression of joint destruction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers considerable promise in this regard. Not only can MRI quantify articular cartilage volume and morphology with high precision and accuracy, but it can also examine several other important articular components, and thus offer a unique opportunity to evaluate the knee and other joints as whole organs. On December 5 and 6, 2002, OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials) and OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International), with support from various pharmaceutical companies listed at the beginning of this supplement, held a Workshop for Consensus on Osteoarthritis Imaging in Bethesda, MD. The aim of the Workshop was to provide a state-of-the-art review of imaging outcome measures for OA of the knee to help guide scientists and pharmaceutical companies who want to use MRI in multi-site studies of OA. Applications of MRI were initially reviewed by a multidisciplinary, international panel of expert scientists and physicians from academia, the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory agencies. The findings of the panel were then presented to a wider group of participants for open discussion. The following report summarizes the results of these discussions with respect to MRI acquisition techniques for whole-organ assessment of the knee in OA. The discussion reviews the selection and qualification of imaging sites for clinical trials, designing imaging protocols for whole-organ assessment of OA, and key considerations in image quality (IQ) control and data management.

Bone Marrow↗

PubMed2006

Proposal for a nomenclature for magnetic resonance imaging based measures of articular cartilage in osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of articular cartilage has evolved to be an important tool in research on cartilage (patho)physiology and osteoarthritis (OA). MRI provides a wealth of novel and quantitative information, but there exists no commonly accepted terminology for reporting these metrics. The objective of this initiative was to propose a nomenclature for definitions and names to be used in scientific communications and to give recommendations as to which minimal methodological information should be provided when reporting MRI-based measures of articular cartilage in OA. METHODS: An international group of experts with direct experience in MRI measurement of cartilage morphology or composition reviewed the existing literature. Through an iterative process that included a meeting with a larger group of scientists and clinicians (December 2nd, 2004, Chicago, IL, USA), they discussed, refined, and proposed a nomenclature for MRI-based measures of articular cartilage in OA. RESULTS: The group proposes a nomenclature that describes: (1) the anatomical location and (2) the structural feature being measured, each name consisting of a metric variable combined with a tissue label. In addition, the group recommends minimal methodological information that should be described. CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of this nomenclature should facilitate communication within the scientific community. Further, the uniform adoption of comprehensive nomenclature to describe quantitative MRI- features of articular cartilage should strengthen epidemiological, clinical, and pharmacological studies in OA.

Cartilage, Articular↗

PubMed2006

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of articular cartilage in knee osteoarthritis (OA): morphological assessment.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a three-dimensional imaging technique with unparalleled ability to evaluate articular cartilage. This report reviews the current status of morphological assessment of cartilage with quantitative MRI (qMRI), and its relevance for identifying disease status, and monitoring progression and treatment response in knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHOD: An international panel of experts in MRI of knee OA, with direct experience in the analysis of cartilage morphology with qMRI, reviewed the existing published and unpublished data on the subject, and debated the findings at the OMERACT-OARSI Workshop on Imaging technologies (December 2002, Bethesda, MA) with scientists and clinicians from academia, the pharmaceutical industry and the regulatory agencies. This report reviews (1) MRI pulse sequence considerations for morphological analysis of articular cartilage; (2) techniques for segmenting cartilage; (3) semi-quantitative scoring of cartilage status; and (4) technical validity (accuracy), precision (reproducibility) and sensitivity to change of quantitative measures of cartilage morphology. RESULTS: Semi-quantitative scores of cartilage status have been shown to display adequate reliability, specificity and sensitivity, and to detect lesion progression at reasonable observation periods (1-2 years). Quantitative assessment of cartilage morphology (qMRI), with fat-suppressed gradient echo sequences, and appropriate image analysis techniques, displays high accuracy and adequate precision (e.g., root-mean-square standard deviation medial tibia=61 microl) for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in OA patients. Longitudinal studies suggest that changes of cartilage volume of the order of -4% to -6% occur per annum in OA in most knee compartments (e.g., -90 microl in medial tibia). Annual changes in cartilage volume exceed the precision errors and appear to be associated with clinical symptoms as well as with time to knee arthroplasty. CONCLUSIONS: MRI provides reliable and quantitative data on cartilage status throughout most compartments of the knee, with robust acquisition protocols for multi-center trials now being available. MRI of cartilage has tremendous potential for large scale epidemiological studies of OA progression, and for clinical trials of treatment response to structure modifying OA drugs.

Cartilage, Articular↗

PubMed2006

Structural analysis of trabecular bone of the proximal femur using multislice computed tomography: a comparison with dual X-ray absorptiometry for predicting biomechanical strength in vitro.

We investigated whether trabecular microstructural parameters determined in multislice spiral computed tomographic (MSCT) images of proximal femur specimens differed in male and female donors and improved the prediction of biomechanical strength of the femur compared to bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) determined with dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as the standard diagnostic technique. Proximal femur specimens (n = 119) were harvested from formalin-fixed human cadavers (mean age 80 +/- 10 years). BMD was determined using DXA. Trabecular microstructural parameters (bone volume fraction, fractal dimension, and trabecular thickness, spacing, and number) were calculated in MSCT-derived images of the proximal femur. Failure load (FL) was measured using a biomechanical side-impact test. An age-, height-, and weight-matched subgroup (n = 54) was chosen to compare male and female donors. BMC, BMD, and structural parameters correlated significantly with FL, with r up to 0.75, 0.71, and 0.71, respectively. In a multiple regression model, an increase up to r = 0.82 was obtained when combining trabecular structural parameters and BMC. BMD differed between males and females only at the trochanter. BMC showed significant gender differences in all regions. This experimental study showed that a combination of BMC and microstructural parameters could improve the prediction of FL, suggesting that bone mass and trabecular structure carry overlapping but complementary information and that a combination of the two provides the best prediction of bone strength. Male donors had larger femora even after adjustment for body size and height, but no differences in trabecular structure were found between males and females.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2006

[Parametric biomedical imaging--what defines the quality of quantitative radiological approaches?].

Quantitative parametric imaging approaches provide new perspectives for radiological imaging. These include quantitative 2D, 3D, and 4D visualization options along with the parametric depiction of biological tissue properties and tissue function. This allows the interpretation of radiological data from a biochemical, biomechanical, or physiological perspective. Quantification permits the detection of small changes that are not yet visually apparent, thus allowing application in early disease diagnosis and monitoring therapy with enhanced sensitivity. This review outlines the potential of quantitative parametric imaging methods and demonstrates this on the basis of a few exemplary applications. One field of particular interest, the use of these methods for investigational new drug application studies, is presented. Assessment criteria for judging the quality of quantitative imaging approaches are discussed in the context of the potential and the limitations of these methods. While quantitative parametric imaging methods do not replace but rather supplement established visual interpretation methods in radiology, they do open up new perspectives for diagnosis and prognosis and in particular for monitoring disease progression and therapy.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

The effects of exercise on human articular cartilage.

The effects of exercise on articular hyaline articular cartilage have traditionally been examined in animal models, but until recently little information has been available on human cartilage. Magnetic resonance imaging now permits cartilage morphology and composition to be analysed quantitatively in vivo. This review briefly describes the methodological background of quantitative cartilage imaging and summarizes work on short-term (deformational behaviour) and long-term (functional adaptation) effects of exercise on human articular cartilage. Current findings suggest that human cartilage deforms very little in vivo during physiological activities and recovers from deformation within 90 min after loading. Whereas cartilage deformation appears to become less with increasing age, sex and physical training status do not seem to affect in vivo deformational behaviour. There is now good evidence that cartilage undergoes some type of atrophy (thinning) under reduced loading conditions, such as with postoperative immobilization and paraplegia. However, increased loading (as encountered by elite athletes) does not appear to be associated with increased average cartilage thickness. Findings in twins, however, suggest a strong genetic contribution to cartilage morphology. Potential reasons for the inability of cartilage to adapt to mechanical stimuli include a lack of evolutionary pressure and a decoupling of mechanical competence and tissue mass.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2005

Detection of osteoporotic vertebral fractures using multidetector CT.

INTRODUCTION: Goals were to compare the performance of lateral radiographs and sagittal reformations (SR) of axial computed tomography (CT) datasets in identification of osteoporotic vertebral fractures and to assess for optimal slice thickness in axial CT datasets needed for reliable classification of these fractures. METHODS: Sixty-five vertebrae were harvested from 21 human cadaver spines and examined with a 64-row multidetector CT scanner. Axial images were acquired with a slice thickness of 0.6, 1, 2, 3 and 5 mm and SR were obtained using these datasets. In addition, specimens were radiographed in antero-posterior and lateral orientation. Vertebrae visualized in the different image datasets were separately graded by four radiologists according to the spinal fracture index (SFI) classification. Fracture status determined in a consensus reading of interactive reformations of the 0.6-mm CT dataset in all three dimensions served as a standard of reference in combination with pathological examinations. RESULTS: The average agreement for the 0.6-mm SR obtained between each radiologist and standard of reference for the grading of the fractures was very good (kappa=0.81). It was good for the 1-, 2- and 3-mm SR (kappa=0.70, 0.69 and 0.64), but only moderate for the radiographs (kappa=0.52), and fair for the 5-mm SR (kappa=0.33). When focusing only on detection of fractures, independent of the grading, all kappa values improved by about 0.15, resulting in excellent values for the 0.6-mm through 3-mm SR (0.95<kappa<0.79) and good values for the radiographs (kappa=0.72). Ninety-five percent of the fractures could be identified using the 1-mm SR, but 18% of the fractures were missed on the radiographs. CONCLUSIONS: Sagittal CT reformations could more accurately assess vertebral fractures than standard radiographs. But for reliable detection of these fractures, SR derived from axial images with a slice thickness of 3 mm or less are required. The thinnest available axial slice thickness performed best in fracture grading.

Aged, 80 and over↗

PubMed2005

Double echo steady state magnetic resonance imaging of knee articular cartilage at 3 Tesla: a pilot study for the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) may provide valuable measures of cartilage morphology in osteoarthritis (OA) but has been confined to sequences with relatively long acquisition times at 1.5 Tesla (T). OBJECTIVE: To test the accuracy and precision of knee cartilage qMRI with a fast double echo, steady state (DESS) sequence with water excitation (we) at 3 T. METHODS: As a pilot study for the Osteoarthritis Initiative, test-retest MR images were acquired in the knees of 19 participants with no OA to moderate degrees of clinical OA. Two double oblique coronal fast low angle shot (FLASHwe) sequences (1.5 mm slice thickness) were acquired at 3 T, and two sagittal DESSwe sequences (0.7 mm slice thickness). Double oblique coronal multiplanar reformats (MPR) were performed (1.5 mm slice thickness) from the sagittal DESSwe. Knee joint cartilage plates were quantified unpaired in random order with blinding to subject identification. RESULTS: In the femorotibial joint, precision errors (root mean square coefficient of variation in % for unpaired analysis) for cartilage volume and thickness were 3.0-6.4% with coronal FLASHwe, 2.4-6.2% with coronal MPR DESSwe, and 2.3-8.2% with sagittal DESSwe. Correlation coefficients between DESSwe and FLASHwe ranged from r = 0.88 to 1.0. In the femoropatellar joint, precision errors (sagittal DESSwe) were 3.4-8.5%. CONCLUSIONS: DESSwe permits accurate and precise analysis of cartilage morphology in the femorotibial joint at 3 T. Further studies are needed to examine the accuracy of DESSwe in the femoropatellar joint and its ability to characterise sensitivity to longitudinal changes in cartilage morphology.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Femorotibial and patellar cartilage loss in patients prior to total knee arthroplasty, heterogeneity, and correlation with alignment of the knee.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse tibial, femoral, and patellar cartilage loss in patients prior to total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and its correlation with alignment of the knee. METHODS: 26 patients (aged 58 to 86 years) with a clinical indication for TKA were investigated. Quantitative end points of cartilage morphology (T scores for cartilage volume normalised to total subchondral bone area) were determined from coronal and axial magnetic resonance image data, using proprietary software. The static alignment of the knee was determined from standing full limb radiographs. RESULTS: The magnitude of cartilage loss (T score of normalised cartilage volume) was highly variable within the knee, correlation coefficients ranging from r = 0.17 to 0.51 between cartilage plates. The correlation of cartilage loss with static alignment of the knee (as a continuous variable) was r = -0.52 (p<0.05) for the medial tibia, -0.38 (not significant) for the medial femur, +0.76 (p<0.001) for the lateral tibia, +0.31 (not significant) for the lateral femur, and -0.09 for the patella. When analysing alignment independent of direction (valgus or varus), the correlation for the patella increased to r = 0.30, but remained non-significant. CONCLUSIONS: Cartilage loss was highly variable among patients and among cartilage plates before knee arthroplasty. Its correlation with alignment was stronger for the tibia than for the femur. There was some evidence for an association of alignment and patellar cartilage loss. These findings stimulate further research on the mechanism and cause-effect relation of alignment and knee osteoarthritis using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging technology.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Gender differences in trabecular bone architecture of the distal radius assessed with magnetic resonance imaging and implications for mechanical competence.

High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (hrMRI) has recently made it possible to evaluate trabecular bone structure in vivo. Despite obvious gender differences in fracture incidence at the distal radius, little is known about gender differences in trabecular bone microarchitecture and its relationship to the structural strength of the forearm. The aim of this study was to determine trabecular bone structure in the distal radius of elderly women and men and its correlation with failure loads of the distal radius as determined in a fall configuration. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that structural indices differ between women and men and that they offer information that is independent from BMD for predicting structural strength. Intact right arms were obtained from 73 formalin-fixed cadavers (age 80+/-11 years, 43 women, 30 men). Trabecular structural indices (apparent bone volume fraction [app. BV/TV], trabecular number [app. Tb.N], trabecular separation [app. Tb.Sp], trabecular thickness [app. Tb.Th] and fractal dimension [Frac.Dim]) were assessed in the distal metaphysis, using hrMRI with 156 microm in-plane resolution and proprietary digital image analysis, while BMD was measured with dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Women displayed significantly lower BMD (-29.8%, p <0.001), app. BV/TV (-8.2%, p <0.05) and app. Tb.Th (-10.2%, p <0.001) than men, whereas app. Tb.N, app. Tb.Sp. and fractal dimension did not differ significantly. Structural parameters differed between normal and osteopenic women (BV/TV: -11%, p <0.01; Tb.Th: -8%, p <0.001) and between normal and osteoporotic women BV/TV: -21%, p <0.001; Tb.Th: -16%, p <0.001). App. BV/TV, app. Tb.Th and fractal dimension provided information independent from BMD in the prediction of radial failure loads in multiple regression models. These findings imply that it should be of clinical interest to monitor both bone mass and trabecular microstructure for predicting osteoporotic fracture risk.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

Accuracy of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of ex vivo focal cartilage defects.

BACKGROUND: No established, non-invasive diagnostic procedure for quantifying focal cartilage defects is currently available. OBJECTIVE: To test the accuracy of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) for reliable determination of cartilage defect size in various compartments of the human knee. METHODS: 24 tibial and patellar cartilage plates were harvested during knee arthroplasty. 74 cylindrical defects with diameters of 3, 5, and 8 mm were created with a punch. In 15 specimens (51 defects), the cartilage cylinders (inside the punch) were removed (approach 1), while in 9 specimens (23 defects) the surrounding tissue was removed mechanically and the cartilage cylinder was left in place (approach 2). All plates were imaged with a T(1) weighted water excitation gradient echo sequence at a resolution of 1.5 mm x 0.31 mm x 0.31 mm. The defect size was computed from the image data after interactive segmentation and compared with the known dimensions of the cylinders. RESULTS: Although there was a significant overestimation of the defect size by qMRI in 3 mm defects (mean (SD) +1.3 (0.58) mm = +/-42%; p<0.001), the overestimation was only +1.0 (0.57) mm (+/-21%; p<0.05) in 5 mm defects and +0.1 (0.39) mm (+/-4%; p = 0.31) in 8 mm defects (approach 1). Values were similar for approaches 1 and 2 and for patellar and tibial cartilage plates. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that qMRI allows accurate quantification of focal cartilage defects. It may therefore represent a valuable tool in the diagnosis of traumatic cartilage lesions, osteochondrosis dissecans, and osteochondral fractures, and in monitoring their responsiveness to surgical or other treatments.

Cartilage, Articular↗

PubMed2005

Effect of abducting and adducting muscle activity on glenohumeral translation, scapular kinematics and subacromial space width in vivo.

It is currently unknown in which ways activity of the ab- and adductor shoulder muscles affects shoulder biomechanics (scapular kinematics and glenohumeral translation), and whether these changes are relevant for alterations of the subacromial space width. The objective of this experimental in vivo study was thus to test the hypotheses that potential changes of the subacromial space width (during antagonistic muscle activity) are caused by alterations of scapular kinematics and/or glenohumeral translation. The shoulders of 12 healthy subjects were investigated with an open MRI-system at 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, 120 degrees and 150 degrees of arm elevation. A force of 15N was applied to the distal humerus, once causing isometric contraction of the abductors and once contraction of the adductors. The scapulo-humeral rhythm, scapular tilting and glenohumeral translation were calculated from the MR image data for both abducting and adducting muscle activity. Adducting muscle activity led to significant increase of the subacromial space width in all arm positions. The scapulo-humeral rhythm (2.2-2.5) and scapular tilting (2-4 degrees) remained relatively constant during elevation, no significant difference was found between abducting and adducting muscle activity. The position of the humerus relative to the glenoid was, however, significantly (p < 0.05) different (inferior and anterior) for adducting versus abducting muscle activity in midrange elevation (60-120 degrees). These data show that the subacromial space can be effectively widened by adducting muscle activity, by affecting the position of the humerus relative to the glenoid. This effect may be employed for conservative treatment of the impingement syndrome.

Acromioclavicular Joint↗

PubMed2005

In vivo contact areas of the knee in patients with patellar subluxation.

OBJECTIVE: Ex vivo studies have suggested that cartilage contact areas and pressure are of high clinical relevance in the etiology of osteoarthritis in patients with patellar subluxation. The aims of this study were therefore to validate in vivo measurements of contact areas with 3D open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to study knee joint contact areas in patients with patellar subluxation at different angles of knee flexion in comparison with healthy subjects. METHODS: 3D-MRI data sets of 12 healthy volunteers and eight patients with patellar subluxation were acquired using a standard clinical (1.5 T) and an open (0.2 T) MRI scanner. We compared femoro-patellar and femoro-tibial contact areas obtained with two different sequences from open MRI [dual-echo-steady-state (DESS) and fast-low-angle-shot (FLASH) sequences] with those derived from standard clinical 1.5 T MRI. We then analyzed differences in joint contact areas between healthy subjects and patients with patellar subluxation at 0 degree, 30 degrees, and 90 degrees of knee flexion using open MRI. RESULTS: The correlation of the size of contact areas from open MRI with standard clinical MRI data ranged from r = 0.52 to 0.92. Open-MRI DESS displayed a smaller overestimation of joint contact areas (+21% in the femoro-patellar, +12% in the medial femoro-tibial, and +19% in the lateral femoro-tibial compartment) than FLASH (+40%, +37%, +30%, respectively). The femoro-patellar contact areas in patients were significantly reduced in comparison with healthy subjects (-47% at 0 degree, -56% at 30 degrees, and -42% at 90 degrees of flexion; all p < 0.01), whereas no significant difference was observed in femoro-tibial contact areas. CONCLUSIONS: Open MRI allows one to quantify joint contact areas of the knee with reasonable accuracy, if an adequate pulse sequence is applied. The technique permits one to clearly identify differences between patients with patellar subluxation and healthy subjects at different flexion angles, demonstrating a significant reduction and lateralization of contact areas in patients. In the future, application of this in vivo technique is of particular interest for monitoring the efficacy of different types of surgical and conservative treatment options for patellar subluxation.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Use of novel interactive input devices for segmentation of articular cartilage from magnetic resonance images.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of new interactive computer input devices on cartilage segmentation in terms of time, consistency between input devices, and precision in quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI). DESIGN: We compared two new input devices, an interactive digitizing tablet and an interactive touch-sensitive screen, to a traditional mouse. Medial tibial and patellar cartilage of six healthy and six osteoarthritic knees were segmented using each input device. Cartilage volume, surface area and mean thickness were assessed using a validated algorithm and used to determine consistency and precision. Segmentation time was also measured. RESULTS: Segmenting with an interactive touch-sensitive screen reduced segmentation time by 15% when compared to the traditional mouse but we found no significant difference in segmentation time between the interactive digitizing tablet and the traditional mouse. We found no difference in consistency or precision of cartilage volume, mean thickness or surface area between the three input devices tested. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that measurements of cartilage made using articular cartilage segmentation from MR images are independent of the input device chosen for user interaction.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

In vivo cartilage deformation after different types of activity and its dependence on physical training status.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the deformational behaviour of articular cartilage in vivo is required to understand the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and the mechanical target environment of prospective cartilage transplant recipients. OBJECTIVES: To study the in vivo deformational behaviour of patellar and femorotibial cartilage for different types of physiological activities; and to test the hypothesis that in vivo deformation of cartilage is modified by intense physical exercise. METHODS: Magnetic resonance imaging and 3D digital image analysis were used to determine cartilage volume before and after physical activity in the patella of 12 volunteers (knee bends, squatting, normal gait, running, cycling). Deformation of femorotibial cartilage was investigated in 10 subjects (knee bends, static compression, high impact loading). Patellar cartilage deformation after knee bends was compared in seven professional weight lifters, seven sprinters, and 14 untrained volunteers. RESULTS: Patellar cartilage deformation was -5.9% after knee bends, -4.7% after squatting, -2.8% after normal walking, -5.0% after running, and -4.5% after cycling. The pattern of patellar cartilage deformation corresponded to the range of motion involved in the particular activity. Tibial cartilage deformation was greatest under high impact loading (-7%), but small for other activities. No significant difference was found between athletes and non-athletic controls. CONCLUSIONS: Patellar cartilage deformation shows a "dose dependent" response, where more intense loading leads to greater deformation. Relatively little deformation was observed in the femorotibial joint, except during high impact activities. The findings provide no evidence that adult human cartilage properties are amendable to training effects in vivo.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Pathomechanics in atraumatic shoulder instability: scapular positioning correlates with humeral head centering.

The objective was to analyze three-dimensional scapular positioning and glenohumeral centering of normal and atraumatic unstable shoulders. We hypothesized that changes of humeral head position correlate with alterations of scapular positioning. The shoulders of 28 healthy volunteers and 14 patients with atraumatic instability were examined in various arm positions using open magnetic resonance imaging. After segmentation and three-dimensional reconstruction, three-dimensional analyses of scapular positioning and humeral head position relative to the glenoid were done. The coefficient of correlation (r) between both parameters was determined using the correlation z test. The glenohumeral to scapulothoracic ratio in the scapular plane was increased in nine of 14 patients and decreased in three patients, whereas the scapular internal rotation in the transverse plane was increased in all unstable shoulders. The unstable shoulders also had malcentering (greater than two times the standard deviation in the healthy volunteers) of the humeral head in the direction of instability during various arm positions. In healthy and unstable shoulders, the correlation between scapular position and glenohumeral positioning was high during passive elevation (r = 0.60-0.87). The high correlation suggests that scapular positioning is relevant for humeral head decentering. Therefore, physiotherapeutic strategy should consider the malpositioning of the scapula and be adapted to the direction of instability.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Can geometry-based parameters from pQCT and material parameters from quantitative ultrasound (QUS) improve the prediction of radial bone strength over that by bone mass (DXA)?

The diagnosis of osteoporosis is generally based on the assessment of bone mineral content with dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) but does not account for the spatial distribution and inherent material properties of the tissue. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) permits one to measure the compartment-specific density and geometry-based parameters of cortical bone. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters are associated with material properties of cortical bone. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that pQCT and cortical QUS provide additional information to DXA in predicting structural strength of the distal radius. The intact right arm and the isolated left radius were harvested from 70 formalin-fixed cadavers (age 79+/-11 years). The bone mineral content (BMC) was assessed with DXA at the radial metaphysis and shaft. pQCT was also used at the metaphysis and the shaft, while QUS was employed only at the shaft. The failure loads of the radius were assessed by use of a 3-point bending test (isolated radius) and a complex fall simulation (intact arm). The BMC (DXA) displayed a correlation of r=0.96 with the failure moments in 3-point bending ( P<0.001). The correlation between failure load and geometry-based parameters (pQCT) ranged from r=0.85 to r=0.96 and was r=0.64 for the speed of sound (QUS) ( P <0.001). Cortical thickness (pQCT) improved the prediction marginally (r=0.964) in combination with DXA. For the fall simulation, the correlation coefficients were r=0.76 for BMC (DXA) of the shaft, r=0.83 for metaphyseal bone content (pQCT), r=0.55 for QUS, and ranged from r=0.59 to r=0.74 for geometry-based parameters at the shaft (pQCT). pQCT and QUS parameters provided no significant improvement versus DXA alone. Measurement of bone mass by DXA or pQCT thus appears to be sufficient as a surrogate of mechanical strength and fracture risk of the distal radius.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗