title: Ultrasound of knee osteoarthritis: interobserver agreement and correlation with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis.
abstract: The aim of this work was to assess the reproducibility of ultrasound findings of knee osteoarthritis and to correlate ultrasound findings with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Prospective study was conducted upon 80 patients (56 F, 24 M; mean age 57 years) with primary osteoarthritis of knee joint. All patients underwent clinical assessment with calculation of WOMAC and high-resolution ultrasound of the knee joint. The ultrasound images were analyzed for cartilage thinning, osteophytes, synovial effusion, synovial proliferation, popliteal cyst, and meniscal protrusion. Image analysis was performed by two readers and linear regression analysis was used to determine association of ultrasound findings with WOMAC. There was excellent inter-observer agreement of both readers for cartilage thinning (k = 0.99, P = 0.001), osteophytes (k = 0.94, P = 0.001), synovial effusion (k = 0.98, P = 0.001), synovial thickening (k = 0.96, P = 0.001), popliteal cyst (k = 1.00, P = 0.001), and meniscal protrusion (k = 0.86, P = 0.001). There was significant association of WOMAC with cartilage changes (t = 3.406, 3.302, P = 0.001), osteophytes (t = 3.841, 3.006, P = 0.001), and synovial effusion (t = 4.140 and 2.787, P = 0.05) of both readers. We concluded that ultrasound is a reproducible method for assessment of knee osteoarthritis and well correlated with WOMAC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Elgomheryia Street, Mansoura, 35512, Egypt. arazek@mans.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Ahmed Abdel Khalek Abdel
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Razek
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sherif Refaat
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: El-Basyouni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002356:Cartilage / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007719:Knee Joint; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D054850:Osteophyte / Q000503:physiopathology; D011151:Popliteal Cyst / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000592:standards; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Cartilage; Effusion; Knee; Osteoarthritis; Synovial; Ultrasound