Background Osteoarthritis is a slowly progressive degenerative disorder that affects joint components from cartilage to meniscus, subchondral bones and might even lead to synovial inflammation.

Objectives To investigate the clinical and radiographic findings associated with asymptomatic crystal deposition disease in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods A single-center cross sectional study, sixty adult patients with knee OA diagnosed according to the ACR criteria were enrolled. Participants were all subjected to history taking, general as well as musculoskeletal clinical examination, serum uric acid, and plain radiography. Examination of the knee joints for intraarticular/periarticular crystal deposits was done using a Logic p5 ultrasound machine (GE) with linear array probe (8–13 MHz) according to the standard EULAR guidelines.

Results A total of sixty adult patients were enrolled, fifty three patients satisfied the inclusion criteria, 44 females (83%) & 9 males (17%), mean values for; ages 53.5 years ± 8.3 SD, disease duration 42.5 months ± 49.5 SD. Crystal deposits were sono-graphically diagnosed in 73 knees with normal serum uric acid values (68.9%> MSU in 31.1%, CPPD in 63.2%, a picture of mixed deposits in 5.7%). Plain radiography revealed chondrocalcinosis in 3 patients only. Regression analysis models and Forest Plot test revealed a 4.1 fold incidence of crystal deposition in patients with sonographic bursitis than those without (OR=4.13, CI=1.5–11.2, p=0.01) and a 3.2 fold incidence of crystal deposition in patients with sonographic effusion than those without (OR=3.16, CI=1.34–7.44, p=0.01).

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Conclusions The study concluded a number of clinical as well as radiographic associates that might be considered as predictors of silent CDD in patients with knee OA as diagnosed by ultrasonography, the most commonly reported clinical associates were bursitis and effusion.

References

1. Naredo E, Cabero F, Palop MJ, Collado P, Cruz A, Crespo M. Ultrasonographic findings in knee osteoarthritis: A comparative study with clinical and radiographic assessment. Osteoarthr Cartil. 2005; 13(7):568–74.

2. Doherty M, Jones A, Cawston T. Osteoarthritis. In: Oxford Textbook of Rheumatology. Isenberg D. Lanyon P.Muir K. Doherty S. eds. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press. 2004; 1091- 1118.

References

Disclosure of Interest None declared