Volume change in infrapatellar fat pad is associated not with obesity but with cartilage degeneration

• Published in: Journal of orthopaedic research 2019-03, Vol.37 (3), p.593-600
• Main Authors: Masaki, Tadashi, Takahashi, Kenji, Hashimoto, Sanshiro, Ikuta, Futoshi, Watanabe, Atsuya, Kiuchi, Shinji, Okuaki, Tomoyuki, Mochizuki, Yusuke, Takai, Shinro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: cartilage degeneration; fat pad; knee; MRI; obesity
• ISSN: 0736-0266; 1554-527X
• DOI: 10.1002/jor.24201

ABSTRACT Infrapatellar fat pad has been implicated in knee osteoarthritis. We examined whether infrapatellar fat pad volume is associated with quantitative cartilage changes using magnetic resonance imaging T1ρ mapping. Fifty‐eight knees of knee pain patients (19 men, 39 women, mean age 57.0 [range 29–85] years) who were conservatively managed and had >1 T1ρ mapping images taken over time were evaluated. We used three slices from the medial femoral and tibial cartilage; areas showing T1ρ values 50 ms were designated as having cartilage degeneration. Cases were categorized into three groups: Improvement, No Change, and Deterioration. Fat‐suppressed T2‐weighted sagittal magnetic resonance images were used for measuring infrapatellar fat pad volume. Percent change in infrapatellar fat pad volume was −5.01 ± 5.66%, −2.06 ± 4.92%, and 0.05 ± 6.09% in the Improvement (n = 22), No Change (n = 22), and Deterioration (n = 14) groups, respectively, demonstrating significantly reduced infrapatellar fat pad volume in the Improvement group (p