超声对不同部位股骨关节面软骨退行性变的对比研究

目的探讨超声评价不同部位股骨关节面软骨退行性变的优劣。方法超声探查40例患者41个拟行关节镜手术或关节置换术的膝关节，均观察其股骨内髁、股骨外髁、股骨滑车正中沟、滑车内侧斜面和滑车外侧斜面，共计205个关节面。超声结果与手术所见对照。结果超声对滑车关节面病灶的诊断水平远远优于内、外髁，敏感性、特异性、准确性分别为：滑车中央沟76．9％、100％、92．5％；滑车内侧斜面96．0％、85．7％、91．3％；滑车外侧斜面65．2％、95．2％、79．5％；外髁54．5％、100％、70．6％；内髁50．0％、69．2％、54．7％。所有位于外髁负重面偏内侧和内髁负重面近髁间嵴的病灶，超声均未能显示。结论超声对股骨滑车软骨退行性变的诊断水平优于股骨髁，而外髁负重面偏内侧、内髁负重面偏髁间嵴区域是超声的扫查盲区。     

Quantitative Assessment of Articular Cartilage with Morphologic,Acoustic and Mechanical Properties Obtained Using High-Frequency Ultrasound

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common joint diseases among adults, and its early detection is still not possible. In this study, high-frequency ultrasound and ultrasound-assisted mechanical testing systems were used to quantitatively measure the morphologic, acoustic and mechanical properties of normal and enzymatically degraded bovine articular cartilages in vitro. A total of 40 osteochondral cartilage plugs were prepared from 20 bovine patellae (n = 20 × 2) and divided into two groups for collagenase and trypsin digestions, respectively. A high-frequency ultrasound system (center frequency: 40 MHz) was used to analyze the surface integrity (ultrasound roughness index, URI), thickness and acoustic properties of the articular cartilages before and after enzymatic degradations. Acoustic parameters included the integrated reflection coefficient (IRC) from the cartilage surface, reflection from the cartilage-bone interface (AIB_bone), integrated attenuation (IA) and integrated backscatter (IBS) of the internal cartilage tissue. A newly developed ultrasound water jet indentation system was used to assess the mechanical properties of the cartilage samples. The results showed that the URI increased significantly (p < 0.05) after collagenase digestion while no significant change (p > 0.05) was found after trypsin digestion. With regard to acoustic parameters, the IRC decreased significantly (p < 0.05) after collagenase digestion while no significant change (p > 0.05) was found after trypsin digestion. The AIB_bone demonstrated an insignificant change after collagenase digestion (p > 0.05) but a significant decrease after trypsin digestion (p < 0.05). Both enzymatic degradation groups showed insignificant differences (p > 0.05) in the IA but a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the IBS after both enzymatic degradations. The apparent stiffness measured by ultrasound water jet indentation suggested that articular cartilage from both groups became significantly softer (p < 0.05) after the enzymatic degradations. A significant relationship was found to exist between the IRC and URI (p < 0.05). This study showed that high-frequency ultrasound can be a comprehensive tool to quantitatively and systematically analyze the morphologic, acoustic and mechanical properties of articular cartilage in association with its degeneration. (E-mail: ypzheng@ieee.org)     

Changes in articular cartilage and subchondral bone after intra-articular osteotomies of the distal femur fixed with biodegradable thread: Histomorphometric study in rabbits

The quantitative, histomorphometric changes of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone of 117 rabbit's right knees were measured after intra-articular osteotomies of the distal femur and the medial condyle of femur fixed with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate, bone cement and polyglycolic acid thread or with polyglycolic acid thread alone. The left knees served as controls. The numerical values were compared statistically with Student's t-test. Follow-up periods were 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks. There was no significant difference between the fixation methods used. A remarkable increase (P < 0·001) of the amount of articular cartilage and decrease (P < 0·002) of the amount of subchondral bone was noticed in the medial condyle of the operated knees. In the lateral condyle the corresponding changes of the cartilage (P < 0·1) and of the bone (P < 0·1) were not as prominent. The increase of the amount of the medial condyle cartilage was larger after the medial condyle osteotomies than after the distal femoral osteotomies. If the healing of the osteotomies was disturbed then the increase of the cartilage was larger than after normal bone healing.     

Arthroscopic Ultrasound Technique for Simultaneous Quantitative Assessment of Articular Cartilage and Subchondral Bone: An In Vitro and In Vivo Feasibility Study

Traditional arthroscopic examination is subjective and poorly reproducible. Recently, we introduced an arthroscopic ultrasound method for quantitative diagnostics of cartilage lesions. Here we describe our investigation of the feasibility of ultrasound arthroscopy for simultaneous measurements of articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Human osteochondral samples (n = 13) were imaged using a clinical 9-MHz ultrasound system. Ultrasound reflection coefficients (R, IRC), the ultrasound roughness index (URI) and the apparent integrated backscattering coefficient (AIB) were determined for both tissues. Mechanical testing, histologic analyses and micro-scale computed tomography imaging were the reference methods. Ultrasound arthroscopies were conducted on two patients. The ultrasound reflection coefficient correlated with the Mankin score and Young's modulus of cartilage (|r| > 0.56, p < 0.05). Ultrasound parameters (R, IRC, AIB) for subchondral bone correlated with the bone surface/volume ratio (|r| > 0.70, p < 0.05) and trabecular thickness (|r| > 0.59, p < 0.05). Furthermore, R and subchondral bone mineral density were significantly correlated (|r| > 0.65, p < 0.05). Arthroscopic ultrasound examination provided diagnostically valuable information on cartilage and subchondral bone in vivo.     

应用高频超声评价昆仙胶囊对膝骨关节炎的疗效

目的 通过高频超声探查双膝关节软骨变化评价昆仙胶囊对膝骨关节炎（KOA）患者的疗效。方法 收集KOA患者43例,随机分为对照组（24例）和治疗组（19例）,对照组应用盐酸氨基葡萄糖＋美洛昔康;治疗组在对照组用药基础上加用昆仙胶囊。两组分别于治疗前及治疗3个月对膝关节疼痛程度进行视觉模拟评分法（VAS）评分,同时应用超声探查股骨滑车沟（TG）、股骨内侧髁（MFC）和股骨外侧髁（LFC）处软骨,对软骨损伤程度进行分级。结果 与治疗前相比,治疗组与对照组治疗3个月VAS评分均降低,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.01）,对照组治疗3个月MFC超声分级、LFC超声分级无明显变化,TG超声分级、超声分级总分增加（P＜0.05）,治疗组治疗3个月TG超声分级、MFC超声分级、LFC超声分级及超声分级总分均无明显变化。与对照组相比,治疗组VAS评分下降更明显（P＜0.01）,TG超声分级、超声分级总分差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）,MFC超声分级、LFC超声分级变化差异无统计学意义。结论 昆仙胶囊联合盐酸氨基葡萄糖和美洛昔康治疗KOA可以缓解疼痛,延缓疾病进展,高频超声评估关节软骨损伤程度可作为KOA疗效评估方法,具有一定的临床推广价值。     

Quantitative Evaluation of Spontaneously and Surgically Repaired Rabbit Articular Cartilage Using Intra-Articular Ultrasound Method in situ

During the last decade, a major effort has been devoted to developing surgical methods for repairing localized articular cartilage lesions. Despite some promising results no ultimate breakthrough in surgical cartilage repair has been achieved. Improvements in repair techniques would benefit from more sensitive and quantitative methods for long-term follow-up of cartilage healing. In this study, the potential of a new ultrasound technique for detecting the compositional and structural changes in articular cartilage after surgery, using recombinant human type II collagen gel and spontaneous repair was, investigated. Rabbit knee joints containing intact (n = 13) and surgically (n = 8) or spontaneously (n = 5) repaired tissue were imaged in situ at 6 months after the operation using a clinical intravascular high-frequency (40 MHz) ultrasound device. Based on the ultrasound raw data, ultrasound reflection coefficient (R), integrated ultrasound reflection coefficient (IRC), apparent integrated backscattering coefficient (AIB) and ultrasound roughness index (URI) were determined for each sample. URI was significantly higher in both repair groups than in intact cartilage (p < 0.05). The reflection parameters (R and IRC) were significantly lower in surgically repaired cartilage (p < 0.05) than in intact cartilage. Furthermore, AIB was significantly higher in surgically repaired cartilage than in intact tissue (p < 0.05). To conclude, the integrity of the rabbit articular cartilage repair could be quantitatively evaluated with the nondestructive ultrasound approach. In addition, clinically valuable qualitative information on the changes in cartilage integration, structure and composition could be extracted from the ultrasound images. In the present study, the structure and properties of repaired tissue were inferior to native tissue at 6 months after the operation. The applied ultrasound device and probes are FDA approved and, thus, applicable for the quantitative in vivo evaluation of human articular cartilage. (E-mail: tviren@hytti.uku.fi)     

Site Dependence of Thickness and Speed of Sound in Articular Cartilage of Bovine Patella

Researchers have made efforts to quantify thickness of articular cartilage as well as its acoustic and mechanical properties using various ultrasound (US) techniques during the last decades, because they are important indicators of articular cartilage degeneration. However, the variation of the thickness and speed of sound of articular cartilage at different anatomical sites would result in the uncertainty of US assessment of degeneration. In this paper, the site dependences of speed of sound and thickness of bovine patellar articular cartilage (n = 10) were investigated using a custom-made US measurement system. The thickness and speed of sound of articular cartilage at different locations of the bovine patella were measured on excised specimens ex situ using a noncontact US approach. A total of 10 patellae were tested. The results showed the overall mean value of the speed of sound in the articular cartilage at the 25 measured sites was 1626 ± 86 m/s (range, 1507 to 1834 m/s). No statistically significant difference in the speed of sound was observed among the 25 locations or among the four quadrants of the patella. The highest speed of sound (1834 ± 74 m/s) was obtained at the medial-upper quadrant and the lowest value (1507 ± 74 m/s) at the medial-lower quadrant. Further grouping of the data revealed that the speed of sound in the central region (1633 ± 21 m/s) was significantly (p < 0.01) larger than that for the surrounding region (1621 ± 22 m/s). The overall mean thickness of the patellar articular cartilage was 1.34 ± 0.34 mm. No significant difference was obtained in the thickness among the 25 locations and also among the four quadrants. However, when the thickness values were divided diagonally, a significant difference (p < 0.01) was observed between the upper region (1.27 ± 0.11 mm) and the lower region (1.31 ± 0.41 mm) of the patellae. Although no significant differences in the thickness and speed of sound among the tested sites were observed, it was demonstrated in this study that they did show some degree of site dependence. (E-mail: sushil78@gmail.com)     

Treatment of isolated articular cartilage lesions of the medial femoral condyle. A clinical nad MR comparison of autologous chondrocyte implantation vs. microfracture

Microfracture (MFX) and Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI) have been utilized in an effort to promote the regeneration of articular cartilage in the knee. The purpose of this study is first, to determine which of these two treatments yields the best clinical results and, second, to determine whether the MR appearance of treated cartilage lesions correlates with clinical outcome. Thirty-five patients with isolated articular cartilage lesions of the medial femoral condyle (MFC) were treated either with ACI (17 patients) or with MFX (18 patients, 19 knees). Patients were evaluated clinically using the modified Cincinnati Knee Questionnaire and with a physical exam. MRs were graded using eight different criteria: an MR score of 100% represents normal cartilage. The average follow-up was 2,6 years for the ACI group and 2,8 years for the MFX group. The average size of the lesion was 472 mm2 for the ACI group and 326mm2 for the MFX group. The Cincinnati scores improves an average of 22% for the ACI patients and 42% for the MFX patients from preoperatively to postoperatively. The average MR score was 66% for the ACI group and 44% for the MFX group. Fifty-nine percent of the ACI patients required at least one additional procedure. This is the first clinical and MR comparison of ACI and MFX to treat full thickness cartilage lesions of the MFC. Clinical improvement was 2 times greater for the MFX patients compared to the ACI patients. The MR scores did not correlate with clinical outcome using our grading system.     

高频超声在急性创伤性髌骨脱位所致软骨损伤中的应用研究

目的研究急性创伤性髌骨脱位所致软骨损伤的高频超声特征。方法回顾性分析25例经手术证实的急性创伤性髌骨脱位患者高频超声资料,总结其特征,并与手术、MRI结果对比。结果 25例急性创伤性髌骨脱位患者,共计53处软骨损伤,其中髌骨内下缘软骨损伤25处,股骨外髁外侧面软骨损伤23处,股骨内髁外侧面软骨损伤1处,股骨滑车软骨损伤4处,无胫骨平台软骨损伤;其中髌骨内下缘及股骨外侧髁外侧面同时软骨损伤23处。高频超声诊断关节软骨损伤的敏感性为75.5%,特异性为97.2%;MRI诊断关节软骨损伤的敏感性为90.6%,特异性为100%;两种方法诊断软骨损伤的敏感性、特异性比较差异无统计学意义。结论急性创伤性髌骨脱位常造成典型部位(髌骨内下缘及股骨外髁外侧面)软骨损伤,高频超声及MRI均能对其有效诊断。     

Measurement of articular cartilage thickness using a three-dimensional image reconstructed from B-mode ultrasonography mechanical scans feasibility study by comparison with MRI-derived data

The present study aimed to develop a method to measure three-dimensional (3-D) thickness of cartilage (Tc) at the femoral condyle using B-mode ultrasonography (US) and to clarify the feasibility of US in clinical evaluations of articular cartilage by comparing the results with 3-D measurement values using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and assessing repeatability. The medial surface of the right knees of two healthy male volunteers (age, 37 and 59 years) and the knees on affected side of three male patients with osteoarthritis (OA) (age, 73, 81 and 83 years) were scanned using B-mode US with the knee flexed at 120°. The range of the angle of probe rotation for the arm was 0-80° and B-mode images (total, 101 images) were acquired every 0.8°. MRI of the knees was also performed using the double echo steady-state sequence. Both US and MRI images were used to create 3-D models of medial femoral condyle articular cartilage. Tc was determined at points 1 mm apart from one another in the US model (Tc-US) and MRI model (Tc-MRI). Tc-US was compared with Tc-MRI and the repeatability of Tc-US was assessed by mean Tc in the specific region of interest of the femoral condyle. Tc-US correlated significantly with Tc-MRI both in volunteers and in OA patients (p < 0.0001 each) and coefficients of correlation were 0.976 and 0.964 for volunteers and OA patients, respectively. The coefficient of variance for mean Tc-US was 4.90%. Our results show that 3-D US measurements of femoral cartilage are reproducible and correlate strongly with MRI measurements.     

High-Frequency Ultrasound Imaging of Tidemark In Vitro in Advanced Knee Osteoarthritis

High-frequency ultrasound imaging has been widely adopted for assessment of the degenerative changes of articular cartilage in osteoarthritis (OA). Yet, there are few reports on investigating its capability to evaluate subchondral bone. Here, we employed high-frequency ultrasound imaging (25?MHz) to examine in vitro the tidemark in cylindrical osteochondral disks (n?=?33) harvested from advanced OA knees of humans. We found good correspondence in morphology observed by ultrasound imaging and micro-computed tomography. Ultrasound roughness index (URI) of tidemark was derived from the raw radiofrequency signals to compare with bone quality factors, including bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and bone mineral density (BMD) measured by micro-computed tomography, using the Spearman correlation (ρ). URI of the tidemark was negatively associated with the subchondral plate BV/TV (ρ?=??0.73, p?<0.001), BMD (ρ?=??0.40, p?=?0.020), as well as the underneath trabecular bone BV/TV (ρ?=??0.39, p?=?0.025) and BMD (ρ?=??0.43, p?=?0.012). In conclusion, this preliminary study demonstrated that morphology measured by high-frequency ultrasound imaging could reflect the quality of the subchondral bone. High-frequency ultrasound is a promising imaging tool to evaluate the changes of the subchondral bone in addition to those of the overlying cartilage in OA.     

透明质酸钠对兔创伤性骨关节炎软骨诱导一氧化氮合酶mRNA表达的干预

背景各种关节损伤、关节手术后导致的创伤性骨关节炎较为常见,关节腔注射透明质酸钠已被视为一种治疗骨关节炎的有效手段.目的以前交叉韧带切断的方法建立兔创伤性骨关节炎模型,观察关节腔注射透明质酸钠对其关节软骨中诱导型一氧化氮合酶mRNA表达水平的影响.设计随机对照动物实验.单位武汉大学人民医院骨科.材料实验于2003-04/12在武汉大学人民医院骨科实验室完成.选取清洁级5～6月龄大耳白兔16只,随机数字表法分为透明质酸钠注射组、生理盐水对照组,8只/组.透明质酸钠(上海建华精细生物制品有限公司提供,国药准字2000第366095号).方法①两组均建立创伤性骨关节炎模型.每只兔以氯胺酮1.0 mg/kg体质量麻醉,单侧膝关节行前交叉韧带切断造模.②术后第5周,透明质酸钠注射组患膝关节腔注射质量浓度为10 g/L的透明质酸钠0.3 mL,1次/周,连续5周.生理盐水对照组注射等量生理盐水.③术后10周处死,观察两组股骨内髁关节软骨的大体形态学(0分关节面光滑,色泽正常;1分关节面粗糙,有小的裂隙,色泽灰暗;2分关节面糜烂,软骨缺损达软骨表层或中层;3分关节面溃疡形成,缺损达软骨深层;4分软骨剥脱,软骨下骨质暴露)和组织学病理变化,采用反转录聚合酶链反应方法检测软骨诱导型一氧化氮合酶mRNA的表达情况.主要观察指标①两组股骨髁关节面标本大体观察结果.②两组股骨内髁软骨光镜组织学观察结果.③两组软骨诱导型一氧化氮合酶mRNA的表达.结果实验选取清洁级大耳白兔16只,全部进入结果分析.①两组股骨髁关节面标本大体观察结果解剖显微镜下观察股骨髁关节面病理变化,透明质酸钠注射组软骨退变程度较生理盐水对照组明显减轻.②两组股骨内髁软骨光镜组织学观察结果透明质酸钠注射组见软骨膜变性脱落,表层软骨细胞变性、坏死、排列紊乱,形成糜烂;生理盐水对照组见软骨细胞变性、坏死,排列紊乱,溃疡病变达软骨深层,并见新生的毛细血管和成纤维细胞增生,溃疡底部见纤维组织增生.③两组软骨诱导型一氧化氮合酶mRNA的表达透明质酸钠注射组软骨诱导型一氧化氮合酶mRNA表达量均值为1.09±0.18,生理盐水对照组的表达量均值为1.26±0.23,两组基本相似(P＞0.05).结论关节腔注射透明质酸钠对早期骨关节炎软骨具有修复和保护作用,能有效减轻早期创伤性骨关节炎关节软骨的退变,对诱导型一氧化氮合酶的表达没有下调作用.     

Noninvasive assessment of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein-e knockout mice by ultrasound biomicroscopy

Intima media thickness is a marker for human atherosclerosis. This study aimed to validate the hypothesis that atherosclerosis progression in vivo in mice can be visualized noninvasively using high-resolution ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), and to study the association between UBM characteristics and plasma lipids in the apolipoprotein-E knockout (ApoE-/-) mouse model. Four age groups of male ApoE-/- mice were used as atherosclerotic models, with age-matched male C57BL/6 mice used as controls. Plaque thickness and area measured by UBM correlated with histologic measurements (r = 0.81, r = 0.70, respectively; p < 0.001). Serum total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in the ApoE-/- groups compared with controls (p < 0.01). Plaque thickness was correlated with total cholesterol (r = 0.505, p < 0.001). High-resolution UBM provides a noninvasive, accurate means of detecting atherosclerosis progression in vivo in mice and can detect changes in the early stage of atherosclerosis.     

剪切波弹性成像评价膝关节软骨早期退变

目的初步探讨剪切波弹性成像技术（SWE）对早期膝关节骨性关节炎患者关节软骨的影响及其临床价值。方法分别选取20例健康成年人和20例早期膝关节骨性关节炎患者作为研究对象，进行常规及SWE检查，测量内容包括髁间区、内侧髁软骨厚度及杨氏模量，对组内、组间软骨厚度及杨氏模量是否存在统计学差异进行分析。结果试验组髁间区、内侧髁、对照组髁间区、内侧髁软骨厚度分别为0.225±0.025、0.217±0.026、0.235±0.023、0.209±0.019 mm，组内不同部位两两比较差异有统计学意义（P < 0.05）；组间相同部位两两比较差异无统计学意义（P > 0.05）；试验组髁间区、内侧髁、对照组髁间区、内侧髁软骨杨氏模量分别为24.17±3.85、25.94±3.55、19.93±2.69、21.59±2.57 kPa，组内不同部位两两比较差异有统计学意义（P < 0.05）；组间相同部位两两比较差异无统计学意义（P > 0.05）。结论SWE可以定量评价体内膝关节软骨的力学性能，早期膝关节骨性关节炎患者膝关节髁间区及内侧髁软骨杨氏模量均大于正常人群。      

磁共振关节软骨成像的不同序列信号比较

目的:通过比较软骨信号噪声比(SNR)和对比度噪声比(CNR),分析临床常用的磁共振(MR)序列显示关节软骨的能力与限度。方法:选取12例成人离体膝关节标本行软骨磁共振成像(MRI)。应用的MR序列包括:①自旋回波T1加权序列(SE T1W);②快速自旋回波T2加权序列(FSE T2W);③短T1翻转恢复序列(STIR);④脂肪抑制质子密度序列(FS-PD);⑤三维脂肪抑制扰相梯度回波序列(3D-FS-SPGR);⑥重度T2加权梯度回波序列(T2*W GRE)。在股骨髁间凹中央层面上分别测量股骨髁软骨、股骨干骺端骨髓、小腿腓肠肌和背景噪声信号强度(SI),计算软骨SNR和软骨-关节液、软骨-骨髓、软骨-肌肉CNR。结果:3D-FS-SPGR和FS-PD序列软骨SNR最高(P<0.001)。结论:在目前临床应用的序列中,3D-FS-SPGR和FS-PD序列是进行软骨MRI的理想序列组合。     

Pre-Operative Femoral Cartilage Ultrasound Characteristics Are Altered in People Who Report Symptoms at 1 year After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

We assessed whether pre-operative femoral cartilage thickness and echo intensity on ultrasound are different between individuals who are symptomatic (n = 6) and asymptomatic (n = 7) at 1 year after a primary unilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (age, 23 ± 4 y; 31% women, 69% men; body mass index, 24.9 ± 3.7 kg/m²). A pre-operative, bilateral ultrasound assessment was used to quantify average thickness and echo intensity in the medial, middle and lateral femoral trochlear regions. An inter-limb ratio (ACL/contralateral limb) was calculated for average thickness and echo intensity. At 1 y after ACL reconstruction, we operationally defined the presence of symptoms as scoring ≤85% on at least two Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscales. Independent-sample t-tests and Cohen's d effect sizes were used to compare ultrasound pre-operative inter-limb ratios between participants with and without symptoms at 1 y after ACL reconstruction. For medial femoral cartilage, symptomatic participants had significantly greater average cartilage thickness inter-limb ratios (p = 0.01, d = ?1.65) and significantly lower echo intensity inter-limb ratios (p = 0.01, d = 1.72) compared with asymptomatic participants. Middle and lateral femoral cartilage average thickness and echo intensity were not different between symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. These findings provide preliminary evidence that a clinically feasible ultrasound assessment of the femoral trochlear cartilage may be prognostic of self-reported symptoms at 1 y after ACL reconstruction.     

Effect of levofloxacin on glycosaminoglycan and DNA synthesis of cultured rabbit chondrocytes at concentrations inducing cartilage lesions in vivo.

We investigated the toxic effect of levofloxacin (LVFX), a quinolone antibacterial agent, on cartilage by examining aspects of its in vivo toxicokinetics and effect on the function of cultured chondrocytes of the femoral articular cartilage from juvenile New Zealand White rabbits. Repeated administration of LVFX (100 mg/kg) orally for 7 days induced focal necrosis and superficial erosion in the articular cartilage of the femoral condyle, but 30 mg/kg did not. Concentrations of LVFX in the cartilage were highest at the first sampling point (30 min) after a single administration, being 4.93 and 12.2 micrograms/g in the 30- and 100-mg/kg groups, respectively. The arthropathic concentration of LVFX in the cartilage was then shown to be 12.2 micrograms/g or more. For an in vitro study, chondrocytes were separated from the articular cartilage of the rabbit femoral condyle and cultured for 7 days until confluence. 35SO4 uptake by cultured chondrocyte sheets was most susceptible to LVFX, decreasing at drug concentrations of 5 micrograms/ml or more in 24- and 48-h cultures but not in a 72-h culture. Furthermore, 3H-thymidine uptake was decreased at concentrations of 10 micrograms/ml or more in a 48-h culture but not in 24- and 72-h cultures. Rhodamine 123 accumulation was susceptible to inhibition in cultured chondrocytes at an LVFX concentration of 10 micrograms/ml or more. These results suggest that LVFX inhibits glycosaminoglycan synthesis initially and DNA synthesis and mitochondrial function secondarily at actual arthropathic concentrations in cultured rabbit chondrocytes but that these changes are reversible and not enough to kill the cells.     

Ultrasonographic Measures of Talar Cartilage Thickness Associate with Magnetic Resonance-Based Measures of Talar Cartilage Volume

Our primary goal was to quantify associations between ultrasonographic (US) measurements of talar cartilage apparent thickness and magnetic resonance (MR)-based measures of talar cartilage volume in a heterogeneous sample of those with and without chronic ankle instability. Cartilage volume from MR and normalized cross-sectional area (CSA) and thickness from a transverse US image of the talar cartilage were calculated after 30 min of unloading. Overall talar and region of interest-specific morphology measures (i.e., volume, normalized CSA, thickness) were submitted for statistical analysis. Overall US-normalized CSA positively associated with the overall talar MR volume (r = 0.641, p < 0.001). Medial (r = 0.673, p < 0.001) and lateral US-normalized CSA (r = 0.584, p = 0.001) positively associated with MR volume in the anteromedial and anterolateral MR region of interest, respectively. No differences in US-based normalized CSA, thickness (p > 0.481) or MR-based volume (p > 0.287) were noted between the groups. US appears to be a clinically accessible and cost-effective method for evaluating average ankle cartilage apparent thickness.     

股骨髁关节面软骨缺损的超声诊断

目的评价超声探查软骨缺损的准确性和可靠性。 方法在7具新鲜离体的膝关节股骨髁关节面上根据国际软骨修复协会（ICRS）软骨病变分级标准制作2～4级软骨缺损180个，直径分别为5、8、10mm，采用高频线阵探头进行扫查。 结果180个各种类型及大小的软骨缺损经超声扫查均可显示。ICRS2级软骨缺损声像图表现为部分厚度的关节面软骨无回声带缺失，基底残留软骨的厚度大于软骨厚度的1／2，ICRS3级软骨缺损为无回声带关节面软骨全层缺失或者大部分厚度缺失，软骨下骨板完整，ICRS4级软骨缺损声像图表现为无回声带关节面软骨全层缺如，软骨下骨板强回声光带连续性中断、缺损。 结论高频线阵探头扫查能准确、可靠地显示ICRS2～4级关节面软骨缺损。     

Ultrasonographic Assessment of Femoral Cartilage Thickness in Patients With Cerebral Palsy

Background

Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most disabling syndromes in children. To our knowledge, there has not yet been any reported evaluation by ultrasonography of the effect of CP on distal femoral cartilage. The value of understanding this effect on cartilage is that sonographic evaluation of cartilage thickness may help physicians to predict the joint health of these children.