Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Femoral Cartilage Thickness in Participants with Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the effect, if any, of asymptomatic hyperuricemia on distal femoral cartilage thickness through musculoskeletal ultrasonography. A total of 66 participants were evaluated in this prospective, controlled study, including 33 asymptomatic hyperuricemic patients who presented at our outpatient clinic between January and April 2020, and 33 normouricemic subjects matched for age, gender and body mass index. Participants with systemic diseases affecting uric acid level such as chronic renal failure, psoriasis, gout, etc., participants using drugs that can affect uric acid level, and those with knee complaints were excluded from the study. Cartilage thickness measurements were taken using musculoskeletal ultrasonography from the right medial condyle, right lateral condyle, right intercondylar area, left medial condyle, left lateral condyle and left intercondylar area. Distal femoral cartilage thickness was lower in all measurement areas in the asymptomatic hyperuricemia group than in the normouricemic group (p<0.05 all). No correlation was noted between uric acid levels and cartilage thickness in all measurement areas in either the asymptomatic hyperuricemic or normouricemic group (p>0.05 all). We think that distal femoral cartilages seem to be thinner in participants with asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether asymptomatic hyperuricemia will lead to knee osteoarthritis in individuals, although we believe that people with asymptomatic hyperuricemia should be informed accordingly in order to prevent development of potential knee osteoarthritis.