You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Extended report
Distribution of distal femoral osteophytes in a human skeletal population
  1. Lee Shepstonea,
  2. Juliet Rogersb,
  3. John Kirwanb,
  4. Bernard Silvermanc
  1. aSchool of Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, UK, bRheumatology Unit, Bristol University Division of Medicine, UK, cDepartment of Mathematics, University of Bristol, UK
  1. Dr L Shepstone, School of Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK Email: L.Shepstone{at}uea.ac.uk

Abstract

OBJECTIVES To examine objectively spatial patterns of osteophytes around the distal end of the femur and to identify distinct subgroups.

METHODS A sample of 107 human femora from a large skeletal population were selected for study. These femora included subjects with evidence of late stage osteoarthritis (that is, with eburnation present) and those with no such evidence. The location of osteophytes was recorded using a video camera and digitised computer images were extracted. Multidimensional scaling was used to identify clusters of femora based upon osteophyte location.

RESULTS A distinct subgroup of femora was identified with osteophytes present only within the intercondylar notch region. None of these subjects had any evidence of eburnation.

CONCLUSIONS This finding adds to an earlier study based on radiographs. Osteophytes located within the intercondylar notch of the femur appear to be a distinct subset, which may occur either as an early stage of knee osteoarthritis or for some independent reason.

  • osteophytes
  • osteoarthritis
  • knee
  • human skeletal material

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.59.7.513

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text