Morphological age changes in the knee joint in dry bone

Abstract

© 2018 Japan Health Sciences University. Objective: The study of knee joints can be used to estimate the propensity of osteoarthritis (OA) by observing the morphological changes, accompanying increased age, especially in the elderly. This study examined the relationship between age and the morphological changes of knee joints in dry bone of a Thai population sample. Materials and Methods: A sample of 76 Thai skeletons consisting of males and females with an age range from 20 to 100 years. The study examined three main morphological changes of knee joint consisting of porosity, osteophytes and eburnation by separating areas of the for femur, patella and tibia in both sides. Results: There was a significant relationship between age and articular surface changes of knee joints. In the femur, the highest association in left femur was in the form of marginal osteophytes on the anteromedial surface of medial part (0.637) while in the right femur it was at the marginal osteophytes on the posteromedial surface of the medial part (0.437). In the patella, the highest association in the left patella was at the surface osteophytes of the superomedial part (0.479) while in the right patella it was at the surface osteophytes of inferomedial part (0.268). In the tibia, the highest association in the left tibia was at the marginal osteophytes on the posterolateral surface of medial part (0.507) while in the right tibia was at the marginal osteophytes on anteromedial surface of lateral part (0.566) by using correlation analysis. Conclusion: The changes on the medial surface of femora and patellae were the most significant changes related with age and with degenerative changes of the articular surface in both distal femora and patellae.