P Kaukinen1, J Podlipská2, A Guermazi3, J Niinimäki4, P Lehenkari5, F W Roemer6, M T Nieminen7, J M Koski8, S Saarakkala9, J P A Arokoski10. 1. Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: paivi.kaukinen@kuh.fi. 2. Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: Jana.Podlipska@oulu.fi. 3. Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: Ali.Guermazi@bmc.org. 4. Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: jaakko.niinimaki@oulu.fi. 5. Department of Anatomy, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Surgery, Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: petri.lehenkari@oulu.fi. 6. Quantitative Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: frank.roemer@uk-erlangen.de. 7. Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Finland. Electronic address: miika.nieminen@oulu.fi. 8. Department of Internal Medicine, Mikkeli Central Hospital, Mikkeli, Finland. Electronic address: f.koski@fimnet.fi. 9. Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Finland. Electronic address: Simo.Saarakkala@oulu.fi. 10. Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: jari.arokoski@hus.fi.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The main aim was to investigate the associations between Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-defined structural pathologies of the knee and physical function. DESIGN: A cohort study with frequency matching on age and sex with eighty symptomatic subjects with knee pain and suspicion or diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and 57 asymptomatic subjects was conducted. The subjects underwent knee MRI, and the severity of structural changes was graded by MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) in separate knee locations. WOMAC function subscores were recorded and physical function tests (20-m and 5-min walk, stair ascending and descending, timed up & go and repeated sit-to-stand tests) performed. The association between MRI-defined structural pathologies and physical function tests and WOMAC function subscores were evaluated by linear regression analysis with adjustment for demographic factors, other MRI-features and pain with using effect size (ES) as a measure of the magnitude of an association. RESULTS: Cartilage degeneration showed significant association with poor physical performance in TUG-, stair ascending and descending-, 20-m- and 5-min walk-tests (ESs in the subjects with cartilage degeneration anywhere between 0.134 [95%CI 0.037-0.238] and 0.224 [0.013-0.335]) and with increased WOMAC function subscore (ES in the subjects with cartilage degeneration anywhere 0.088 [0.012-0.103]). Also, lateral meniscus maceration and extrusion were associated with poor performance in stair ascending test (ESs 0.067 [0.008-0.163] and 0.077 [0.012-0.177]). CONCLUSIONS: After adjustments cartilage degeneration was associated with both decreased self-reported physical function and poor performance in the physical function tests. Furthermore, subjects with lateral meniscus maceration and extrusions showed significantly worse performance in stair ascending tests.
OBJECTIVE: The main aim was to investigate the associations between Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-defined structural pathologies of the knee and physical function. DESIGN: A cohort study with frequency matching on age and sex with eighty symptomatic subjects with knee pain and suspicion or diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and 57 asymptomatic subjects was conducted. The subjects underwent knee MRI, and the severity of structural changes was graded by MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) in separate knee locations. WOMAC function subscores were recorded and physical function tests (20-m and 5-min walk, stair ascending and descending, timed up & go and repeated sit-to-stand tests) performed. The association between MRI-defined structural pathologies and physical function tests and WOMAC function subscores were evaluated by linear regression analysis with adjustment for demographic factors, other MRI-features and pain with using effect size (ES) as a measure of the magnitude of an association. RESULTS:Cartilage degeneration showed significant association with poor physical performance in TUG-, stair ascending and descending-, 20-m- and 5-min walk-tests (ESs in the subjects with cartilage degeneration anywhere between 0.134 [95%CI 0.037-0.238] and 0.224 [0.013-0.335]) and with increased WOMAC function subscore (ES in the subjects with cartilage degeneration anywhere 0.088 [0.012-0.103]). Also, lateral meniscus maceration and extrusion were associated with poor performance in stair ascending test (ESs 0.067 [0.008-0.163] and 0.077 [0.012-0.177]). CONCLUSIONS: After adjustments cartilage degeneration was associated with both decreased self-reported physical function and poor performance in the physical function tests. Furthermore, subjects with lateral meniscus maceration and extrusions showed significantly worse performance in stair ascending tests.