Chérin E, Saïed A, Pellaumail B, Loeuille D, Laugier P, Gillet P, Netter P, Berger G
Laboratoire d'Imagerie Paramétrique, Université Paris VI, CNRS UMR 7623 Faculté de Médecine Broussais, Hôtel-Dieu 15, rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, Paris, 75006, France.
Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2001 Feb;9(2):178-86. doi: 10.1053/joca.2000.0374.
The objective was to assess the relationship between maturation-related structural changes of articular cartilage and variations of acoustic parameters estimated using high frequency ultrasonography.
Patellae taken from 48 immature Wistar male rats and divided into six age groups (from five to 11 weeks old) were explored in vitro using 50-MHz scanning acoustic microscopy, then assessed by histology for the analysis of the cartilage cell distribution and fibrillar collagen organization. The variation of cartilage proteoglycan and collagen content with age was evaluated. Thickness measurements performed on both B-scan images and histologic sections were compared. Ultrasonic radiofrequency signals reflected by the cartilage surface and backscattered from its internal matrix were processed to estimate the integrated reflection coefficient (IRC) and apparent integrated backscatter (AIB).
One-way ANOVA indicated that acoustic parameters and thickness change significantly (P < 0.05) as the animal matures because of age-related changes in cartilage composition and morphology. A moderate correlation was found between IRC and the animal age. The parameter decreased slightly but significantly over time. However, a good correlation was observed between the rat age and the AIB, which decreased significantly over time. The parameter variation was mostly related to the changes in collagen fiber orientation, and/or to a change in cell size, density and organization.
Current results indicate that acoustic properties of cartilage are affected by maturation-related cartilage changes. This suggests that high frequency ultrasonography may serve as a useful means for the investigation of cartilage matrix structural changes occurring under various clinical circumstances, like those observed during osteoarthritis, and for the evaluation of the efficacy of specific therapeutics.
评估关节软骨成熟相关结构变化与高频超声估计的声学参数变化之间的关系。
从48只未成熟的雄性Wistar大鼠获取髌骨并分为六个年龄组（5至11周龄），使用50MHz扫描声学显微镜进行体外研究，然后通过组织学评估软骨细胞分布和纤维状胶原组织。评估软骨蛋白聚糖和胶原蛋白含量随年龄的变化。比较在B扫描图像和组织学切片上进行的厚度测量。对软骨表面反射并从其内部基质反向散射的超声射频信号进行处理，以估计积分反射系数（IRC）和表观积分背向散射（AIB）。
单因素方差分析表明，由于软骨组成和形态的年龄相关变化，随着动物成熟，声学参数和厚度显著变化（P<0.05）。发现IRC与动物年龄之间存在中等相关性。该参数随时间略有但显著下降。然而，在大鼠年龄与AIB之间观察到良好的相关性，AIB随时间显著下降。参数变化主要与胶原纤维取向的变化和/或细胞大小、密度和组织的变化有关。
目前的结果表明，软骨的声学特性受成熟相关的软骨变化影响。这表明高频超声可能是一种有用的手段，用于研究在各种临床情况下发生的软骨基质结构变化，如骨关节炎期间观察到的变化，以及评估特定治疗方法的疗效。
