THE IMPACT OF PREGNANCY ON DISTAL FEMORAL CARTILAGE- A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Abstract

Aim: Cartilage destruction has been associated with many factors such as overweight, excessive use of joints and forced movements, abrasion due to the aging process, and genetic factors. Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for osteoarthritis. This study aimed to determine the thickness of knee joint cartilage and demonstrate the impact of the pregnancy process on osteoarthritis development during pregnancy. Matherial and Method: Fifty pregnant women aged 15-42 years, were included in this study. The ultrasound image of dominant knee distal femoral cartilage was measured at the 1st and 3rd trimesters in the lateral condyle, intercondylar area, and medial condyle from the strong anechoic area between the bone cortex and the suprapatellar fat pad. Results: We found that the third trimester cartilage measurements for each of the nulliparous and multiparous pregnant women were significantly thinner than the first trimester cartilage measurements (p=0.001, p=0.005, p