title: Sonographic assessment of healthy peripheral joints: evaluation according to demographic parameters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe quantitative and semiquantitative sonographic joint measurements in healthy adults and compare them with demographic parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted. Bilateral sonographic measurements of small, medium, and large joints were performed in 130 healthy volunteers, stratified into 5 age groups (A, 18-29; B, 30-39; C, 40-49; D, 50-59; and E, 60-80 years). Quantitative synovial hypertrophy measurements and semiquantitative synovial hypertrophy, power Doppler, bone erosion (score 0-3), and articular cartilage (score 0-4) measurements were performed by a blinded radiologist using a 6-18-MHz linear array transducer. The sonographic measurements were correlated with demographic parameters. The significant P value was set at .05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6500 joint recesses were studied; the mean age ± SD of the participants was 44.8 ± 14.6 years, and 76.9% were women. The highest quantitative synovial hypertrophy values were found in the hip (6.4 mm) and talonavicular joint (2.6 mm). The joint recesses with a greater frequency of hypothetical pathologic semiquantitative scores were second metatarsophalangeal (78.8%) and first metatarsophalangeal (69.3%) for synovial hypertrophy, radiocarpal (17.7%) and first metatarsophalangeal (15.8%) for power Doppler, and posterior glenohumeral (23.1%) and ulnocarpal (4.2%) for bone erosion. The highest quantitative synovial hypertrophy values and the lowest semiquantitative synovial hypertrophy, power Doppler, bone erosion, and articular cartilage scores were observed in age group E (P < .046). There were positive correlations between the sonographic measurements and height, age, weight, and body mass index in 30.4%, 34.8%, 43.5%, and 47.8%, respectively, of all the joint recesses studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sonographic changes in healthy peripheral joints were observed predominantly in the oldest group.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology (F.S.M., J.N., A.L.P.d.B., R.N.V.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.D.T.), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flavia S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology (F.S.M., J.N., A.L.P.d.B., R.N.V.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.D.T.), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jamil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Natour
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology (F.S.M., J.N., A.L.P.d.B., R.N.V.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.D.T.), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogerio D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology (F.S.M., J.N., A.L.P.d.B., R.N.V.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.D.T.), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Leticia P
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Buosi
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology (F.S.M., J.N., A.L.P.d.B., R.N.V.F.) and Department of Radiology (R.D.T.), Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil. rvfurtado@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rita N V
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Furtado
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: bone erosion; healthy volunteers; joint; musculoskeletal ultrasound; power Doppler sonography; sonography; synovial hypertrophy