title: Ultrasonographic evaluation of the femoral cartilage thickness in patients with chronic renal failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of chronic renal failure (CRF) on the distal femoral cartilage thickness by using ultrasonography and to determine the relationship between cartilage thickness and certain disease-related parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven CRF patients (41 male and 16 female) (mean [SD] age, 44.7 [12.1] years) and 60 healthy controls (41 male and 19 female) (mean [SD] age, 43.5 [13.3] years) were enrolled in this study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Cartilage thickness measurements were taken from the medial and lateral condyles, and intercondylar areas of both knees.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Groups were similar in terms of age, weight, height, body mass index and gender (all p>0.05). The mean cartilage thickness was found to be less in CRF patients than in controls (statistically significant for medial condyles and intercondylar areas both in right and the left knees [all p<0.05]). Cartilage thickness showed no correlation with eGFR, and with the levels of serum urea, creatinine, calcium, magnesium, phosphor, hemoglobin, uric acid and as well as steroid use (all p>0.05) in CRF patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the light of our findings, we imply that patients with CRF have thinner femoral cartilage than healthy controls. This result may support the view that patients with CRF are at increased risk for developing early knee osteoarthritis. Last but not least, clinicians should be aware of the importance of rehabilitation strategies aimed at decreasing onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis in patients with CRF.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nephrology , Gulhane Military Medical Academy , Ankara , Turkey ;
authors.forename: Hilmi Umut
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Ünal
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Gulhane Military Medical Academy , Ankara , Turkey ;
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tok
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Gulhane Military Medical Academy , Ankara , Turkey ;
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Adıgüzel
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nephrology , Gulhane Military Medical Academy , Ankara , Turkey ;
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gezer
authors.affiliation: c Department of Biochemistry , Gulhane Military Medical Academy , Ankara , Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Aydın
authors.affiliation: b Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , Gulhane Military Medical Academy , Ankara , Turkey ;
authors.forename: Bilge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nephrology , Gulhane Military Medical Academy , Ankara , Turkey ;
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oğuz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002356:Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Arthralgia; cartilage thickness; chronic renal failure; osteoarthritis; ultrasonography