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Elasticity of the Hoffa's Fat Pad in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Elasticity of the Hoffa's Fat Pad in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05439317
Enrollment
33
Registered
2022-06-30
Start date
2021-12-03
Completion date
2022-08-05
Last updated
2023-02-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Elasticity Imaging Techniques, Knee Osteoarthritis

Brief summary

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common problem in clinical settings. Knee OA is well known for its association with the wear and tear of the cartilage and osteophyte formation. Evidence has suggested the importance of the infrapatellar fat pad, known as Hoffa's fat pad, during the development of knee OA. Some studies have demonstrated the protective role of the infrapatellar fat pad, whereas others have suggested an inflammatory role such as increased fibrosis and proinflammatory cytokine levels. Ultrasound is exceptionally convenient in the assessment of the musculoskeletal system, and elastography is a tool to evaluate tissue texture. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the Hoffa's fat pad in knee OA patients by using elastography.

Detailed description

This was an observation study that included a control group. We enrolled 20 patients with knee OA, as well as 10 healthy individuals. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Kellgren-Lawrence X-ray grading were employed to determine disease severity. All the study participants received elastography assessment, including strain and shear wave elastography in the knee extension and flexion position. The strain elastography contained color mapping that enabled the calculation of the relative texture and strain ratio. The shear wave elastography revealed the qualitative velocity, which was measured 3 times. Each patients with knee OA received elastography examination twice: once before hyaluronic acid injection and once 1 month after the injection.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
Lead SponsorOTHER_GOV

Study design

Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to 86 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

OA group * Kellgren-Lawrence grading I-IV proved by knee X-ray Healthy group * No knee pain or received injection during the past 1 year * No history of knee OA

Exclusion criteria

* History of knee surgery, trauma or malignancy * History of patellar tendinopathy or patellofemoral pain syndrome * Refused informed consent

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
shear modulusbefore and 1-3 months after hyaluronic acid injectionthe absolute quantitative measurement of elasticity (kPa) of Hoffa's fat pad
strain ratiobefore and 1-3 months after hyaluronic acid injectionthe semiquantitative measurement of elasticity of Hoffa's fat pad, a ratio with patellar tendon as reference
thickness of Hoffa's fat padbefore and 1-3 months after hyaluronic acid injectionthe thickness of Hoffa's fat pad from mid patellar tendon to femur cartilage

Countries

Taiwan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026