Comparison of Intact Knee Cartilage Thickness in Patients with Traumatic Lower Extremity Amputation and Nonimpaired Individuals.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the femoral articular cartilage thickness of the intact knee in patients with traumatic lower extremity amputation compared with nonimpaired individuals.

DESIGN

A total of 30 male patients with traumatic lower extremity amputation (mean [SD] age, 31.2 [6.3] yrs) and a random sample of 53 age-matched and body mass index-matched male nonimpaired individuals (mean [SD] age, 29.8 [6.3] yrs) participated in the study. Exclusion criteria were age younger than 18 yrs, history of significant knee injury, previous knee surgery, or rheumatic disease. The femoral articular cartilage thickness was measured using ultrasound at the midpoints of the medial condyle, the intercondylar notch, and the lateral condyle. Ultrasonographic cartilage measurement was performed on the intact side of the patients with amputation and on both sides of the nonimpaired individuals.

RESULTS

The femoral articular cartilage thickness of the intact knees of the patients with amputation was significantly decreased at the lateral and medial condyles compared with the nonimpaired individuals (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the measurements at the intercondylar notch between the patients with amputation and the nonimpaired individuals (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a premature cartilage loss in the intact limb knee of the patients with traumatic amputation. This result supports the view that patients with traumatic lower extremity amputation are at increased risk for developing knee osteoarthritis in the intact limb.