title: Acoustic impedance changes in cartilage and subchondral bone due to primary arthrosis.
abstract: This study aimed at assessing elastic changes of cartilage and subchondral bone in sections from osteoarthritic human tibia plateaus using a 50-MHz scanning acoustic microscope (SAM). Samples were obtained from 28 human individuals during alloplastic implant surgery. Sagittal sections were explored using a time-resolved acoustic microscope in hyperosmolar (2.5 molar) saline solution at 25 degrees C. Cartilage and bone impedance distributions were evaluated as a function of the distance to the cartilage-bone interface. The degree of cartilage degeneration was derived from histological and immunohistochemical analyses. The mean impedance value in cartilage was 2.12+/-0.02 Mrayl. The layered cartilage structure was revealed by means of distinctly different impedance values in most samples. Generally, values were higher close to the bone interface and decreased continuously towards the cartilage surface. Higher grades of degeneration show a loss of the layered structure and remarkable cartilage surface undulations. The mean impedance value in subchondral bone was 6.28+/-0.54 Mrayl. A significant increase of the acoustic impedance within the first 150 microm relative to cartilage-bone interface was observed in 65.5% of the investigated sections. We hypothesize that the impedance increase close to the bone cartilage boundary is an indicator for subchondral sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Department of Orthopedics, Q-BAM Group, Magdeburger Strasse 22, 06097 Halle, Germany.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leicht
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raum
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002356:Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D013977:Tibia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography