Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40304956›Full record

ArticleClinical rheumatology2025

Infrapatellar fat pad stiffness is associated with knee symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Sayaka Okada, Masashi Taniguchi, Masahide Yagi, Shogo Okada, Kaede Nakazato, Yoshiki Motomura, Yoshihiro Fukumoto, Masashi Kobayashi, Kyoseki Kanemitsu, Noriaki Ichihashi

Abstract read
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Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sayaka OkadaHuman Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6743-9021
Masashi TaniguchiHuman Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Masashi.taniguchi.7a@kyoto-u.ac.jp.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0548-0210
Masahide YagiHuman Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1825-3570
Shogo OkadaHuman Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7956-5017
Kaede NakazatoHuman Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9126-9843
Yoshiki MotomuraHuman Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6544-0678
Yoshihiro FukumotoHuman Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0516-770X
Masashi KobayashiKobayashi Orthopaedic Clinic, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5401-9581
Kyoseki KanemitsuKanemitsu Clinic, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-9096-4418
Noriaki IchihashiHuman Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2508-2172

Funding

JST SPRING JPMJSP2110the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI Grant in-Aid for Scientific Research 18H03164the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI Grant in-Aid for Scientific Research 20K19376
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo clarify the association between infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) stiffness and size with knee osteoarthritis (OA) severity and knee symptoms.

methodThis study included 93 participants: 66 with symptomatic medial knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade [KL] ≥ 2) and 27 healthy controls (KL grade 0 or 1) with asymptomatic knees. Shear modulus (stiffness) and thickness (size) of the IFP were measured using ultrasonography. The Knee Society Score (KSS) was used to assess knee symptoms. Maximum knee extension strength and external knee adduction moment during walking, both related to the symptoms of knee OA, were measured. The shear modulus and thickness of the IFP were compared among three groups: control, mild OA (KL grade 2), and severe OA (KL grades 3 and 4). Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the association of IFP shear modulus and thickness with knee symptoms.

resultsThe IFP shear modulus was higher in the severe OA group than that in the control group, with no significant differences among the other groups. There were no significant differences in thickness between the groups. The shear modulus was significantly associated with the KSS symptom scores, indicating that a stiffer IFP correlated with more severe knee OA symptoms. Conversely, the IFP thickness was not associated with the KSS symptom scores.

conclusionsInfrapatellar fat pad stiffness was higher in severe knee OA, and greater stiffness was associated with more severe symptoms, suggesting that IFP stiffness may serve as both an assessment marker and therapeutic target in knee OA management.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueKnee JointOsteoarthritis, KneePatellaAgedCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSeverity of Illness IndexUltrasonographyAdipose tissueArticular structureKnee painPain intensityUltrasound

Identifiers

PMID40304956

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