title: Signal intensity alteration in the infrapatellar fat pad at baseline for the prediction of knee symptoms and structure in older adults: a cohort study.
abstract: To describe the associations between infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) signal intensity alteration at baseline and knee symptoms and structural changes in older adults.
  
  
  
  A total of 874 subjects (mean 62.1 years, 50.1% female) selected randomly from local community were studied at baseline and 770 were followed up (only 357 had MRI at follow-up) over 2.6 years. T1-weighted or T2-weighted fat suppressed MRI was used to assess IPFP signal intensity alteration (0-3), cartilage volume, cartilage defects and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) at baseline and 2.6 years later. Knee pain was assessed by self-administered Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire. Radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) was assessed.
  
  
  
  In cross-sectional analyses, IPFP signal intensity alteration was significantly and positively associated with total knee pain as well as knee cartilage defects, BMLs and knee radiographic OA and negatively associated with patellar cartilage volume after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index and/or radiographic OA. Longitudinally, baseline signal intensity alteration within IPFP was significantly and positively associated with increases in knee pain when going upstairs/downstairs as well as increases in tibiofemoral cartilage defects and BMLs, and negatively associated with change in lateral tibial cartilage volume in multivariable analyses.
  
  
  
  IPFP signal intensity alteration at baseline was associated with knee structural abnormalities and clinical symptoms cross-sectionally and longitudinally in older adults, suggesting that it may serve as an important imaging biomarker in knee OA.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Department of Orthopaedics, 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Weiyu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Zhaohua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Benny
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Antony
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8200-1618
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cicuttini
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Arthritis Research Institute, 1st Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Changhai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D010329:Patella / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography
keywords: Inflammation; Knee Osteoarthritis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging