Can Tuba Selçuk, Yilmaz Behice K, Özdemir Sevim
Haseki Research and Training Hospital, Turkey.
Pol J Radiol. 2019 Sep 27;84:e375-e380. doi: 10.5114/pjr.2019.89196. eCollection 2019.
Quadriceps fat pad is located posterior to the quadriceps tendon. Increased signal intensity of this fat pad is seen on routine knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations, but the exact mechanism and related pathologies are not clear. In this study we aimed to evaluate the relationship between MRI signal intensity and morphological features of quadriceps fat pad, as well as various pathologies of the patellofemoral joint.
Sixty-one knees with quadriceps fat pad oedema out of 457 knee MRI examinations were included. Quadriceps fat pad signal intensity, dimensions, posterior indentation, and various parameters related to patellofemoral joint such as trochlear facet asymmetry, trochlear depth and sulcus angle, and the Insall-Salvati ratio were evaluated.
There was no statistically significant correlation between quadriceps fat pad oedema intensity and its dimensions, but it was significant when compared to posterior indentation. There was no correlation between fat pad oedema and each of the pathologies. However, there was a significant correlation between the presence of fat pad oedema and the presence of at least one of the pathologies related to patellofemoral joint.
Quadriceps fat pad oedema detected in MRI examinations should warn the radiologist against the presence of various pathologies related to the patellofemoral joint.
股四头肌脂肪垫位于股四头肌肌腱后方。在常规膝关节磁共振成像（MRI）检查中可看到该脂肪垫信号强度增加，但确切机制及相关病变尚不清楚。在本研究中，我们旨在评估股四头肌脂肪垫的MRI信号强度与形态特征之间的关系，以及髌股关节的各种病变情况。
纳入457例膝关节MRI检查中61例存在股四头肌脂肪垫水肿的膝关节。评估股四头肌脂肪垫的信号强度、尺寸、后方凹陷情况，以及与髌股关节相关的各种参数，如滑车小面不对称性、滑车深度和沟角，以及Insall-Salvati比率。
股四头肌脂肪垫水肿强度与其尺寸之间无统计学显著相关性，但与后方凹陷相比则具有显著性。脂肪垫水肿与每种病变之间均无相关性。然而，脂肪垫水肿的存在与至少一种髌股关节相关病变的存在之间存在显著相关性。
MRI检查中发现的股四头肌脂肪垫水肿应提醒放射科医生注意髌股关节存在各种病变。
