title: Precision of hyaline cartilage thickness measurements.
abstract: Measurement of cartilage thickness in vivo is an important indicator of the status of a joint as the various degenerative and inflammatory arthritides directly affect the condition of the cartilage. In order to assess the precision of thickness measurements of hyaline articular cartilage, we undertook a pilot study using MR imaging, plain radiography, and ultrasonography (US). We measured the cartilage of the hip and knee joints in 10 persons (4 healthy volunteers and 6 patients). The joints in each patient were examined on two separate occasions using each modality. In the hips as well as the knee joints, the most precise measuring method was plain film radiography. For radiographs of the knees obtained in the standing position, the coefficient of variation was 6.5%; in the hips this figure was 6.34%. US of the knees and MR imaging of the hips were the second best modalities in the measurement of cartilage thickness. In addition, MR imaging enabled the most complete visualization of the joint cartilage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buckwalter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helvie
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Niklason
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Martel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001699:Biometry / Q000379:methods*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014463:Ultrasonography