Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common disease in elderly adults. While previous studies have mainly focused on pathological changes, such as synovial and cartilage alterations, these authors sought to focus on changes in muscle quality. Echo intensity, shear modulus, and Myoton PRO (Tallinn, Estonia) are all potential and convenient tools for evaluating muscle properties. In addition to measuring muscle morphology, echo intensity and shear modulus also expand the scope of ultrasound assessment of muscles by quantifying muscle composition and stiffness, thereby providing more information about muscles. This study used ultrasound to assess the muscle echo intensity and shear modulus and employed Myoton PRO to evaluate the tone and stiffness in patients with KOA on both affected and unaffected sides. Additionally, they assessed these parameters in age-matched healthy older individuals on their dominant sides and examined the correlation between these muscle parameters and clinical severity scores (VAS, WOMAC, K-L grade) among KOA patients.
The differences in ultrasound and muscle properties of the superficial quadriceps muscle between elderly patients with KOA and healthy elderly individuals were preliminarily investigated and the authors reported a weak to moderate correlation was found between muscle echo intensity and K-L grade, as well as between tone and pain score in KOA. They concluded that future prevention and treatment strategies for KOA in clinical settings should take into account differences in muscle parameters. The authors hope that this study serves as a reference for clinicians to use the objective tools and methods to evaluate muscle quality around the knee in patients with KOA. In the future, it is expected that the muscle differences in patients with KOA will attract more attentio Differences in Parameters in Ultrasound Imaging and Biomechanical Properties of the Quadriceps Femoris with Unilateral Knee Osteoarthritis in the Elderly: A Preliminary Observational Study n from researchers. Additionally, we hope for wider utilization of scientific and objective assessment tools and methods in the clinical evaluation of muscle quality to assist clinicians in developing appropriate intervention strategies.
Source: Li J, Wu Z, Lu B, Li C, Wang S, Zhang J, Shen X, Xiang R, Chen J, Jiang T, Zhao C, Liu W, Xu X. The Differences in Parameters in Ultrasound Imaging and Biomechanical Properties of the Quadriceps Femoris with Unilateral Knee Osteoarthritis in the Elderly: A Preliminary Observational Study. Clin Interv Aging. 2024;19:1479-1491. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S442610
