Correlation Analysis Of Subchondral Bone Mineral Density Of Knee Joint In Patients With Varus Knee Osteoarthritis

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between subchondral trabecular bone mineral density(BMD)of knee joints and OA-related pain,disease severity of the knee joints in female patients with severe varus knee Osteoarthritis.Methods:We recruited 25 eligible women in our study.The Peripheral quantitative computed tomography(p QCT)method is used to measure the different parts of the subchondral trabecular bone BMDs beneath the femoral and tibial articular surface and medial versus lateral condyle BMD ratios.Meanwhile,according to the joint space narrowing(JSN)observed on weight-bearing radiographs of lower limbs,we divided the participants into two groups,the narrowing group and the obliteration group,and compared them.At the same time,we also measured the degree of osteophyte hyperplasia,the lateral Femorotibial angle(FTA),the Oxford Knee Score(OKS),and pain subsection score of WOMAC for correlation analysis.Results: Compared with the narrowing group,the mean medial tibial condyle BMD,medial versus lateral condyle BMD ratios,OKS score and WOMAC score were all higher in the obliteration group(P<0.05).In both femur and tibia,the mean medial condyle subchondral bone BMDs and the mean medial versus lateral subchondral bone BMD ratios were positively correlated with the OKS score and pain subsection score of WOMAC.The medial tibial condyle BMD and medial versus lateral tibial condyle BMD were also positively correlated with lateral FTA angle and osteophyte proliferation.Conclusions:The medial tibial condyle BMD and medial versus lateral tibial condyle BMD ratio had a strong positive correlation with the knee function score and pain score.Although this was a cross-sectional study with small samples,it still suggested that the subchondral bone BMD of the knee joint might be a potential marker for monitoring the progression of knee OA.