We investigated the effect of cartilage degeneration on ultrasound speed in human articular cartilage in vitro.
Ultrasound speed was calculated by the time-of-flight method for 22 femoral condyle osteochondral blocks obtained from osteoarthritis patients. In parallel, histological evaluation of specimens was performed using the modified Mankin and OARSI scores.
The mean ultrasound speed was 1757 ± 109 m/s. Ultrasound speed showed significant negative correlation with OARSI score, and a decreasing tendency with high Mankin scores. Good correlation was found between the optically measured and the calculated cartilage thickness.
Our results show that articular cartilage degeneration has relatively little influence on ultrasound speed. In addition, morphological evaluation of articular cartilage using a preset value of ultrasound speed seems to offer relatively accurate results.