title: Femoral cartilage thickness measurements in healthy individuals: learning, practicing and publishing with TURK-MUSCULUS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Measurement of the femoral cartilage thickness by using in-vivo musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) has been previously shown to be a valid and reliable method in previous studies; however, to our best notice, normative data has not been provided before in the healthy population.The aim of our study was to provide normative data regarding femoral cartilage thicknesses of healthy individuals with collaborative use of MSUS.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is across-sectional study run at Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Departments of 18 Secondary and Tertiary Centers in Turkey. 1544 healthy volunteers (aged between 25-40 years) were recruited within the collaboration of TURK-MUSCULUS (Turkish Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography Study Group). Subjects who had a body mass index value of less than 30 and who did not have signs and symptoms of any degenerative/inflammatory arthritis or other rheumatic diseases, history of knee trauma and previous knee surgery were enrolled. Ultrasonographic measurements were performed axially from the suprapatellar window by using linear probes while subjects' knees were in maximum flexion. Three (mid-point) measurements were taken from both knees (lateral condyle, intercondylar area, medial condyle).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2876 knees (of 817 M, 621 F subjects) were taken into analysis after exclusion of inappropriate images. Mean cartilage thicknesses were significantly lower in females than males (all p< 0.001). Thickness values negatively correlated with age; negatively (females) and positively (males) correlated with smoking. Men who regularly exercised had thicker cartilage than who did not exercise (all p < 0.05). Increased age (in both sexes) and absence of exercise (males) were found to be risk factors for decreased cartilage thicknesses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further data pertaining to other countries would be interesting to uncover whether ethnic differences also affect cartilage thickness. Collaborative use of MSUS seems to be promising in this regard.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Özçakar
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Ankara PMR Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tunç
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Ankara PMR Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Öznur
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Öken
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Celal Bayar University Medical School, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zeliha
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ünlü
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Inönü University Medical School, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bekir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Durmuş
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Inönü University Medical School, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Baysal
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Inönü University Medical School, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zuhal
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Altay
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tok
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Pamukkale University Medical School, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nuray
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akkaya
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Şişli Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Beril
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Doğu
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Karadeniz Technical University Medical School, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Çapkın
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Istanbul PMR Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşenur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bardak
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, GATA Haydarpaşa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Alparslan Bayram
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Çarlı
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Istanbul PMR Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buğdaycı
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Afyon Kocatepe University Medical School, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toktaş
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Istanbul University Istanbul Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Demirhan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dıraçoğlu
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Istanbul PMR Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berrin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Istanbul PMR Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Belgin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erhan
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hilal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kocabaş
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Erden
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Günendi
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kesikburun
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özlem Köroğlu
authors.initials: ÖK
authors.lastname: Omaç
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Taşkaynatan
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Atatürk University Medical School, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kazım
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Şenel
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Atatürk University Medical School, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uğur
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Istanbul PMR Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru Yılmaz
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Yalçınkaya
authors.affiliation: PMR Clinic, Istanbul PMR Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kadriye
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Öneş
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Gazi University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Çiğdem
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Atan
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kenan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akgün
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Ondokuz Mayıs University Medical School, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bilgici
authors.affiliation: Department of PMR, Ondokuz Mayıs University Medical School, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Kuru
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of PMR, Erciyes University Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Özgöçmen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D010810:Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards*; D011364:Professional Practice; D011643:Publishing; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D014421:Turkey; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Knee; exercise; femoral cartilage; smoking; thickness; ultrasonography