QUANTIFYING KNEE JOINT EFFUSIONS WITH CLINICAL TESTS, MUSCULOSKELETAL ULTRASOUND AND SYNOVIAL FLUID ASPIRATION: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Abstract

Background Aspiration of knee joint effusions is an integral diagnostic and therapeutic intervention in many rheumatologic diseases. Clinical examination has traditionally involved tests including the “patella tap” or “bulge test”. The accuracy of these tests for determining effusion presence and size is not well established. Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MUS) is considered better for identification and quantification of knee effusions. Objectives To investigate the correlation between both clinical examination and MUS to aspirated knee effusion volume. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of 37 osteoarthritis patients with symptomatic knee effusions. Clinical assessment with patell..