Association between popliteal artery wall thickness and knee structure in adults without clinical disease of the knee: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Objective. There is evidence of a vascular contribution to the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this study was to examine the association between popliteal artery wall thickness, which was previously shown to be associated with the risk of OA, and structural changes in the knee in an asymptomatic cohort. Methods. A total of 297 adults with no significant knee pain, injury, or history of clinical knee disease were recruited. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the knee at baseline and 2 years later. Popliteal artery wall thickness, knee cartilage volume, and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) were assessed. Results. Of 278 participants with valid popliteal artery wall ..