Sex-differences of the healthy infra-patellar (Hoffa) fat pad in relation to intermuscular and subcutaneous fat content--data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

ABSTRACT: The infra-patellar fat pad (IPFP) is composed of intra-articular adipose tissue; it represents a potential source of pro-inflammatory cytokines and has been associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. Yet, to what extent the size of the IPFP differs between healthy men and women, and how sex differences compare to those in inter-muscular and subcutaneous fat tissue content is unknown. We studied healthy reference subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, without knee pain, without radiographic signs or without risk factors of femorotibial osteoarthritis. Sagittal magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of 99 right knees were used to segment the IPFP; in a subset, axial images of the thigh were available to segment inter-muscular and subcutaneous fat. Healthy men (n=40) displayed a 41% greater

SUBMITTER: Diepold J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4457586 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature