Objectives: To validate a method to measure the morphological parameters of the proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: 408 participants were examined in this cross-sectional subject-based study. We calculated the fibular contacting area of PTFJ (S) and its projection areas onto the horizontal plane (load-bearing area, Sτ), the sagittal plane (lateral stress-bolstering area, Sφ) and the coronal plane (posterior stress-bolstering area, Sυ). Joint space narrowing (JSN) and osteophyte was measured using radiographs. Cartilage defects, bone marrow lesions (BMLs) and cartilage volume were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results: The average PTFJ fibular contacting area was 2.4 cm² (SD, ±0.7 cm²). Intra-observer and inter-observer reliabilities of measures of PTFJ morphological parameters were excellent (≥0.90). S, Sτ and Sφ were significantly associated with JSN in the medial tibiofemoral compartment (PR: 1.40, 95% CI 1.10-1.78; PR: 1.65, 95% CI 1.25-2.18 and PR: 0.53, 95% CI 0.29-0.97, respectively). There was a significantly positive association between S, Sτ and medial and/or femoral tibial cartilage defects. S, Sτ and Sυ were significantly and positively associated with medial and/or femoral tibial BMLs (PR: 1.36, 95% CI 1.12-1.64; PR: 1.47, 95% CI 1.17-1.83; and PR: 1.39, 95% CI 1.06-1.82, respectively) after adjustment. S and Sτ were significantly and negatively associated with medial tibial cartilage volume.

Conclusions: This novel method to assess the morphological parameters of PTFJ in MRI is reproducible. These parameters are associated with knee radiographic and MRI-based OA-related structural abnormalities, suggesting clinical construct validity. Its predictive validity needs to be examined in future longitudinal studies.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	knee osteoarthritis, MR images, proximal tibiofibular joint
Research Division:	Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
Research Group:	Clinical sciences
Research Field:	Rheumatology and arthritis
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical health
Objective Field:	Clinical health not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Zhu, Z (Mr Zhaohua Zhu)
UTAS Author:	Meng, T (Mr Tao Meng)
UTAS Author:	Zheng, S (Miss Shuang Zheng)
UTAS Author:	Winzenberg, T (Professor Tania Winzenberg)
UTAS Author:	Jiang, D (Dr Danchi Jiang)
UTAS Author:	Han, W (Dr Weiyu Han)
UTAS Author:	Ding, C (Professor Chang-Hai Ding)
ID Code:	130124
Year Published:	2018
Web of Science® Times Cited:	3
Deposited By:	Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Deposited On:	2019-01-10
Last Modified:	2019-03-18
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