title: Ultrasonographic evaluation of femoral cartilage thickness in patients with psoriatic arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a common form of arthritis that may vary from asymmetric oligoarthritis to symmetric polyarthritis and spondyloarthritis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate femoral cartilage thickness using ultrasonography in patients with PsA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients (24 female, 9 male) with a diagnosis of PsA and 31 age-, sex- and body mass index-similar healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded, including disease duration, morning stiffness and medications. The femoral cartilage thicknesses of both knees (while held in maximum flexion) were measured with a 7-12 MHz linear probe. Three mid-point measurements were taken from both knees (at the lateral condyle, intercondylar area and medial condyle).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cartilage thicknesses were similar between PsA patients and healthy control subjects. However, there were significant correlations between cartilage thickness and the Maastricht Ankylosing Spondylitis Enthesitis Score, Bath AS functional index and Bath AS disease activity index scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Femoral cartilage thickness is similar between PsA patients and healthy controls. The femoral cartilage thickness in PsA patients is associated with disease activity, functional inadequacy, and enthesopathy scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dicle University Medical School, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Batmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dicle University Medical School, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Akif
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sarıyıldız
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Karadeniz Technical University Medical School, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurçe
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Çilesizoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Karadeniz Technical University Medical School, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karkucak
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dicle University Medical School, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yazmalar
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Karadeniz Technical University Medical School, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ömer Faruk
authors.initials: ÖF
authors.lastname: Serdar
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Karadeniz Technical University Medical School, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erhan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Çapkın
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Psoriatic arthritis; femoral cartilage; thickness; ultrasound