Viviane Creteur1, Riccardo De Angelis1, Julie Absil1, Theofylaktos Kyriakidis1, Afarine Madani2. 1. Department of Radiology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, Route de Lennik, 1070, Brussels, Belgium. 2. Department of Radiology, Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808, Route de Lennik, 1070, Brussels, Belgium. afarine.madani@erasme.ulb.ac.be.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the early changes in the quadriceps and patellar tendons before and after total knee arthroplasty using ultrasound, shear wave elastography, and X-rays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiographs, ultrasound, and shear wave elastography were performed on 23 patients (16 women; aged 51-85, mean 66 ± 9 years) before and after surgery at 6 weeks and on 11 patients at 3 months. Patellar position and patellar tendon lengths were evaluated by radiography; joint effusion or synovitis, quadriceps and patellar tendon lengths, and thicknesses, echogenicity, vascularity, and stiffness were assessed with ultrasound and shear wave elastography. RESULTS: In the early postoperative period, 87% of the patients had joint effusion, and 43% had signs of synovitis. There was a significant thickening of the quadriceps tendon in 51.5% (p < .0001) and of the patellar tendon in 93.8% (p < .0001) of patients with a significant shortening of the patellar tendon in 7.8% (p < .0001). A hypoechoic defect on the medial aspect of the quadriceps tendon was found in 87% of the patients. There was a significant increase in Young's modulus in the quadriceps tendon (p = .0006) but not in the patellar tendon. CONCLUSION: The following should not be considered to be pathological findings at early postoperative imaging: joint effusion, synovitis, increasing of stiffness and thickening of quadriceps tendons by more than 50%, thickening of patellar tendon by more than 90%, focal defect through the medial aspect of the quadriceps tendon, and shortening of the patellar tendon by 8%.
OBJECTIVE: To prospectively assess the early changes in the quadriceps and patellar tendons before and after total knee arthroplasty using ultrasound, shear wave elastography, and X-rays. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiographs, ultrasound, and shear wave elastography were performed on 23 patients (16 women; aged 51-85, mean 66 ± 9 years) before and after surgery at 6 weeks and on 11 patients at 3 months. Patellar position and patellar tendon lengths were evaluated by radiography; joint effusion or synovitis, quadriceps and patellar tendon lengths, and thicknesses, echogenicity, vascularity, and stiffness were assessed with ultrasound and shear wave elastography. RESULTS: In the early postoperative period, 87% of the patients had joint effusion, and 43% had signs of synovitis. There was a significant thickening of the quadriceps tendon in 51.5% (p < .0001) and of the patellar tendon in 93.8% (p < .0001) of patients with a significant shortening of the patellar tendon in 7.8% (p < .0001). A hypoechoic defect on the medial aspect of the quadriceps tendon was found in 87% of the patients. There was a significant increase in Young's modulus in the quadriceps tendon (p = .0006) but not in the patellar tendon. CONCLUSION: The following should not be considered to be pathological findings at early postoperative imaging: joint effusion, synovitis, increasing of stiffness and thickening of quadriceps tendons by more than 50%, thickening of patellar tendon by more than 90%, focal defect through the medial aspect of the quadriceps tendon, and shortening of the patellar tendon by 8%.
Authors: Mihra S Taljanovic; Lana H Gimber; Giles W Becker; L Daniel Latt; Andrea S Klauser; David M Melville; Liang Gao; Russell S Witte Journal: Radiographics Date: 2017 May-Jun Impact factor: 5.333
Authors: Gareth Sion Davies; Ben van Duren; Matthew Shorthose; Patrick Garfjeld Roberts; John R Morley; Andrew P Monk; David W Murray; Hemant G Pandit Journal: Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc Date: 2016-05-21 Impact factor: 4.342
Authors: B K Coombes; K Tucker; B Vicenzino; V Vuvan; R Mellor; L Heales; A Nordez; F Hug Journal: Scand J Med Sci Sports Date: 2017-10-26 Impact factor: 4.221
Authors: Steven B Soliman; Jason J Davis; Stephanie J Muh; Saifuddin T Vohra; Ashish Patel; Marnix T van Holsbeeck Journal: Skeletal Radiol Date: 2022-05-28 Impact factor: 2.128