The Correlation between Ultrasonographic Measurements of Femoral Cartilage Thickness and Physical Function in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis

Background: Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is one of the most common degenerative disorders that affects the synovial joints. Objective: To assess the association between femoral cartilage thicknesses as measured by US with WOMAC score & 6 min walk test and find out other ultrasonographic findings in cases with primary knee OA. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 35 patients diagnosed with primary knee OA clinically and imaging by X-ray who recruited from ARRC and 6th October military hospital. Results: On performing correlation between disease duration and US assessment of the patients, there was a negative correlation between disease duration and each of medial femoral thickness, Intercondylar thickness and, lateral femoral thickness. On performing correlation between WOMAC Score and US assessment of our patients, there was a negative correlation between WOMAC Score and each of medial femoral thickness, Intercondylar thickness, and Lateral femoral thickness. On performing correlation between 6-minute walk test and each of disease duration and WOMAC score there was a negative correlation. But there was a positive correlation between 6 min walk test and each of medial femoral thickness, Intercondylar thickness, and Lateral femoral thickness. Conclusion: Disease duration was closely related in the prediction of hyaline cartilage thickness and there was a significant correlation between femoral cartilage thickness assessed by US and physical function assessed by each of WOMAC score and 6 min walk test in patients with primary knee OA.