The Thickness Of Knee Cartilage In Healthy Young Adults In Northeast China

Background:As the largest and the most active joint of the human body,the knee joint undertakes a variety of functional activities such as weight bearing and running,so its incidence of damage is also high.Studies have shown that the thickness of articular cartilage is closely related to the severity of knee joint disease.Generally,the thinner the articular cartilage becomes,the more severe the joint disease is.Therefore,an accurate understanding of the thickness of normal knee cartilage is of great significance for early diagnosis,effective intervention and prognostic evaluation of the disease.Objective:This study uses 3.0T Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI)to quantitatively analyze the thickness of knee cartilage in healthy young adults in Northeast China,and provides reference and basis for clinicians.Methods:30 healthy young volunteers were recruited from the China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University.They were divided into groups by left and right knee joints,gender and different regions.A 3.0T MRI scan was performed on the bilateral knee joints of each volunteer.The cartilage thickness was measured in 4 areas of the knee joint,namely the lateral femoral condyle(LFC),medial femoral condyle(MFC),lateral tibial plateau(LTP)and medial tibial plateau(MTP).Results:Among the four regions of interest in the knee joint,namely LFC,MFC,LTP,MTP,the average cartilage thickness values of the left and right knee joints of healthy young men were respectively 2.98mm,3.02mm,3.12mm,2.48mm and 2.95mm,3.00mm,3.05mm,2.47mm;those of healthy young women were respectively 2.18mm,1.98mm,2.60mm,1.98mm and 2.15mm,1.97mm,2.62mm,1.96mm;regardless of young men or women,the average cartilage thickness of each area showed no statistically significant differences between the left and right knee joints(P>0.05).In male group,the average cartilage thickness values of the LFC,MFC,LTP and MTP were 2.97mm,3.01mm,3.09mm,and 2.48mm,respectively;in female group,those of the four regions of interest were 2.16mm,1.98mm,2.61mm,1.97mm,respectively;there was a statistically significant difference in cartilage thickness of the knee between healthy young men and women(P<0.05).In the same sex group,the average cartilage thickness of the LFC was thinner in the middle,and thicker in the anterior and posterior;that of the MFC was the thinnest in the anterior and gradually increased from the anterior to the posterior;that of the LTP was the thickest in the middle,followed by the rear,and thinnest in the front;that of the MTP was the thinnest in the front,relatively uniform in the middle and rear,and both thicker than that in the front.Conclusion:In Northeast China,among healthy adults aged 22-33,gender difference may be an important factor in the difference of cartilage thickness in various regions of the knee joint.Regardless of whether male or female healthy young people,the cartilage thickness of the entire knee joint is unevenly distributed,but there is no significant difference in cartilage thickness in the same area between the left and right knee joints.