Chondrocalcinosis of femoro-tibial and proximal tibio-fibular joints in cadaveric specimens: a high-resolution CT imaging study of the calcification distribution.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze calcium deposits by computed tomography (CT) in femoro-tibial compartments and proximal tibio-fibular joints; to assess the relationship with CT-assessed osteoarthritis (OA).


METHODS
68 (34 pairs) cadaveric knees (mean age of 84) were scanned at high resolution CT. Menisci and hyaline cartilage calcifications in the femoro-tibial and proximal tibio-fibular joints were analyzed. OA was CT-assessed by the Kellgren and Lawrence score. Gross appearance of OA was evaluated on 29 left knees after dissection and India ink staining of tibial plateaus.


RESULTS
In femoro-tibial joints, meniscal calcifications (MC) and hyaline cartilage calcifications (HCC) were detected in 23(34%) and 14(21%) knees respectively. Calcifications mainly involved the three meniscal segments and were mainly observed in all thirds of the femoro-tibial compartments. In proximal tibio-fibular joints, HCC were detected in 19(28%) knees. The association HCC-MC in femoro-tibial joints and between calcifications in femoro-tibial and proximal tibio-fibular joints was strong (p<0.0001). Femoro-tibial and proximal tibio-fibular CT-assessed OA were respectively found in 23(34%) and 19(28%) knees. HCC were significantly associated with femoro-tibial OA (p = 0.04) while MC were not (p = 0.34). OA macroscopic evaluation showed a mean surface of cartilage lesions of 35% (range 0.13-0.55). No significant difference was demonstrated regarding the CT-detection of MC, HCC or CT-assessed OA.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to report a strong association of chondrocalcinosis between femoro-tibial and tibio-fibular joints in addition to a strong association between MC and HCC in femoro-tibial compartments. No significant relationship between chondrocalcinosis and OA was demonstrated.
Radiologie Ostéo-Articulaire, Hôpital Lariboisière, CNRS-UMR 7052, Laboratoire B2OA, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France. sebastien.touraine@lrb.aphp.fr
Sébastien
S
Touraine
Hang Korng
HK
Ea
Valérie
V
Bousson
Martine
M
Cohen-Solal
Liess
L
Laouisset
Christine
C
Chappard
Frédéric
F
Lioté
Jean-Denis
JD
Laredo
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002805:Chondrocalcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed