ArticleArthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)2024
Association of Muscle Quality and Pain in Adults With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis, Independent of Muscle Strength: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Study.
Article in Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Characteristics of muscle morphological changes in the lower limb after total knee arthroplasty.International orthopaedics · 2026Article
- Using quantitative imaging methods to investigate the association between quadriceps stiffness and knee cartilage volumes.Bone & joint research · 2026Article
- Correlation study of infrapatellar fat pad EI in assessing clinical symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- High-intensity interval training remodels perineuronal nets in the medial prefrontal cortex to drive microglial polarization and alleviate osteoarthritis pain.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Feasibility of neurite oriented diffusion and density imaging in thigh skeletal muscle of volunteers with knee pain: relationship with proton density fat fraction: a cross-sectional study.BMC medical imaging · 2026Article
- Effect of ultrasound-guided small needle knife on patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized clinical trial.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Associated factors influencing pain and slower gait speed in older adults with knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Research progress and prospects of exosomes from diverse cellular sources in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a narrative review.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Review
- Age-related changes in quadriceps stiffness and strength: a longitudinal observation in community-dwelling older adults.BMC geriatrics · 2025Observational
- Knee Flexion Excursion Mediates the Association Between Quadriceps Stiffness and Knee Loads During the Mid-Stance Phase of Gait.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2025Article
- Osteoarthritis.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025Review
- Associations amongst dynamic knee stiffness during gait, quadriceps stiffness, and the incidence of knee osteoarthritis over 24 months: a cohort study with a mediation analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveKnee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of chronic pain in adults and shows wide interindividual variability, with peripheral and central factors contributing to the pain experience. Periarticular factors, such as muscle quality (eg, echo intensity [EI] and shear wave velocity [SWV]), may contribute to knee OA pain; however, the role of muscle quality in OA symptoms has yet to be fully established.
methodsTwenty-six adults (age >50 years) meeting clinical criteria for knee OA were included in this cross-sectional study. Quantitative ultrasound imaging was used to quantify EI and SWV in the rectus femoris of the index leg. Pearson correlations followed by multiple linear regression was used to determine associations between muscle quality and pain, controlling for strength, age, sex, and body mass index.
resultsEI and SWV were significantly associated with movement-evoked pain (b = 0.452-0.839, P = 0.024-0.029). Clinical pain intensity was significantly associated with SWV (b = 0.45, P = 0.034), as were pressure pain thresholds at the medial (b = -0.41, P = 0.025) and lateral (b = -0.54, P = 0.009) index knee joint line, adjusting for all covariates. Pain interference was significantly associated with knee extension strength (b = -0.51, P = 0.041).
conclusionThese preliminary findings suggest that EI and SWV may impact knee OA pain and could serve as malleable treatment targets. Findings also demonstrate that muscle quality is a unique construct, distinct from muscle strength, which may impact pain and treatment outcomes. More research is needed to fully understand the role of muscle quality in knee OA.
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