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Signal intensity alteration and maximal area of pericruciate fat pad are associated with incident radiographic osteoarthritis: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

  • Magnetic Resonance
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To determine whether pericruciate fat pad (PCFP) signal intensity alteration and maximal area are associated with incident radiographic osteoarthritis (ROA) over 4 years in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) study.

Methods

Participants were from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) study. Case knees (n = 355) were defined by incident ROA between 12 and 48 months visits and were matched by sex, age, and radiographic status with control knees (n = 355). Magnetic resonance images (MRIs) were used to assess PCFP signal intensity alteration and PCFP maximal area at P0 (time of onset of ROA), P-1 (1 year prior to P0), and baseline. Conditional logistic regression analyses were applied to assess associations between PCFP measures and the risk of incident ROA.

Results

The mean age of participants was 60.1 years and 66.9% were women. In multivariable analyses, PCFP signal intensity alteration measured at three time points (OR [95%CI]: 1.28 [1.10–1.50], 1.52 [1.30–1.78], 1.50 [1.27–1.76], respectively) and PCFP maximal area (OR [95%CI]: 1.21 [1.03–1.42], 1.27 [1.07–1.52], 1.37 [1.15–1.62], respectively) were significantly associated with incident ROA.

Conclusions

PCFP signal intensity alteration and maximal area were associated with incident ROA over 4 years, implying that they may have roles to play in ROA.

Key Points

• Pericruciate fat pad signal intensity alteration and maximal area were associated with incident ROA, implying that they may have roles to play in ROA.

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Abbreviations

ACL:

Anterior cruciate ligament

BMI:

Body mass index

BML:

Bone marrow lesion

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

IPFP:

Infrapatellar fat pad

KLG:

Kellgren Lawrence grade

MOAKS:

MRI OA Knee Score

MRI:

Magnetic resonance image

OA:

Osteoarthritis

OAI:

Osteoarthritis Initiative

OR:

Odds ratio

PCFP:

Pericruciate fat pad

PCL:

Posterior cruciate ligament

PFP:

Prefemoral fat pad

QFP:

Quadriceps fat pad

ROA:

Radiographic osteoarthritis

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks go to the subjects who made this study possible, the OAI investigators, POMA investigators, staff, and participants.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81773532). This study and image acquisition were funded by the OAI study and POMA study. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) lead this initiative at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Private funding partners include Merck Research Laboratories, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer. Private sector funding for the OAI is being managed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The POMA study was funded by the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Yamin Li and Jia Li contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Research Centre, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

    Yamin Li, Jia Li, Zhaohua Zhu, Peihua Cao, Weiyu Han, Guangfeng Ruan, Tianxiang Fan, David J. Hunter & Changhai Ding

  2. Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

    Yamin Li

  3. Department of Rheumatology, Royal North Shore Hospital and Institute of Bone and Joint Research, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    David J. Hunter

  4. Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

    Changhai Ding

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  1. Yamin Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Changhai Ding.

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Guarantor

The scientific guarantor of this publication is Changhai Ding, M.D. (Clinical Research Centre, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China).

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript declare relationships with the following companies: DJH provides consulting advice to Pfizer, Lilly, TLC bio, Merck Serono.

Statistics and biometry

No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects (patients) in this study.

Ethical approval

Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.

Methodology

• prospective

• nested case-control study

• multicenter study

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Li, Y., Li, J., Zhu, Z. et al. Signal intensity alteration and maximal area of pericruciate fat pad are associated with incident radiographic osteoarthritis: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Eur Radiol 32, 489–496 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-021-08193-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-021-08193-1

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