Ultrasound data in knee osteoarthritis in a co0mmunity-based healthcare facility

Abstract: Diagnostic ultrasound (US) has been increasingly used in knee osteoarthritis (OA). This cross-sectional study performed between January 2022 and June 2023 delves into the correlation between OMERACT (effusion synovitis, medial femoral condylar cartilage thickness, MFC, and osteophyte) and non-OMERACT (medial meniscal extrusion, MME and Baker’s cyst, BC) in knee OA. Continuous (non-normal) data are presented as median (range) and categorical data are presented frequency (percentage). Inter-rater reliability of US data between raters performed using weighted Cohen’s kappa coefficient (r). Association between dichotomized US data has been assessed using the Chi-square test (X2), p<0.05 was the level of statistical significance. 83 patients with a median age was 57 were enrolled consecuteively. 55 were female. 56 (67.5%) had unilateral and 27 (32.5%) had bilateral knee pain. Quadriceps muscle wasting was observed in 35 (42.7%) patients. Clinical signs (massage test, fluctuation test and cross fluctuation test) of effusion were revealed in 24 (28.9%). Radiological OA changes were depicted in 59 (71.1%) cases. US characteristics were detected in 80 individuals (96.3%), including BC, MME, effusion synovitis, MFC cartilage thickness change, and medial knee joint line osteophyte in 28 (35.9%), 37 (48.1%), 42 (51.8%), 62 (81.6%), and 63 (80.7%) patients, respectively. BC were seen in 28 (35.9%) cases and beak-shaped was the most common cyst type. OMERACT-MFC cartilage thickness and medial joint line osteophyte, were seen statistically correlated with non-OMERACT (MME and BC). Effusion synovitis was correlated significantly with MME (p<.001) but not with BC (p=.145).