Sonographic assessment of healthy peripheral joints: evaluation according to demographic parameters

To describe quantitative and semiquantitative sonographic joint measurements in healthy adults and compare them with demographic parameters.

A cross-sectional study was conducted. Bilateral sonographic measurements of small, medium, and large joints were performed in 130 healthy volunteers, stratified into 5 age groups (A, 18-29; B, 30-39; C, 40-49; D, 50-59; and E, 60-80 years). Quantitative synovial hypertrophy measurements and semiquantitative synovial hypertrophy, power Doppler, bone erosion (score 0-3), and articular cartilage (score 0-4) measurements were performed by a blinded radiologist using a 6-18-MHz linear array transducer. The sonographic measurements were correlated with demographic parameters. The significant P value was set at .05.

A total of 6500 joint recesses were studied; the mean age ± SD of the participants was 44.8 ± 14.6 years, and 76.9% were women. The highest quantitative synovial hypertrophy values were found in the hip (6.4 mm) and talonavicular joint (2.6 mm). The joint recesses with a greater frequency of hypothetical pathologic semiquantitative scores were second metatarsophalangeal (78.8%) and first metatarsophalangeal (69.3%) for synovial hypertrophy, radiocarpal (17.7%) and first metatarsophalangeal (15.8%) for power Doppler, and posterior glenohumeral (23.1%) and ulnocarpal (4.2%) for bone erosion. The highest quantitative synovial hypertrophy values and the lowest semiquantitative synovial hypertrophy, power Doppler, bone erosion, and articular cartilage scores were observed in age group E (P < .046). There were positive correlations between the sonographic measurements and height, age, weight, and body mass index in 30.4%, 34.8%, 43.5%, and 47.8%, respectively, of all the joint recesses studied.

Sonographic changes in healthy peripheral joints were observed predominantly in the oldest group.