To find an objective method of evaluation of the thigh muscle hypothrophy in gonarthrosis.
The subjects of the study were 24 patients with gonarthrosis (mean age 58.4 +/- 2.6 years). Of these 8 (33%) were males and 16 (67%) females. The following methods of examination were used: computed tomography (CT) of the thigh musculature--linear measurement and area of the cross-section of the vastus medialis muscle; electromyography--muscle fiber conduction velocity; and measurement of thigh girth.
Significant reduction of the cross-section area and linear measurement of the vastus medialis muscle and significant delay of the muscle fiber conduction velocity was found in the symptomatic side compared with the asymptomatic side. No correlation was found between the tape measure of the thigh and cross-section area of the muscle. A significant correlation was found between the cross-section area of the muscle and the fast fiber conduction velocity as well as between the linear measurement of the vastus medialis muscle cross-section and fast fiber conduction velocity.
The correlation between the macromorphological changes of the vastus medialis muscle assessed by computed tomography and the functional changes detected by electromyography allows the conclusion that the muscle fiber conduction velocity can be used as an objective method of evaluation of muscle atrophy in degenerative joint diseases.