Variation characteristics of stress distribution in the subchondral bone of the knee joint of judo athletes with long-term stress changes

Zhiqiang Li; Guanghua Xu; Chengjun Wang; Qiuyuan Wang; Caiping Liu; Tingting Guo; Lijun Wu; Diankang Cao

doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1082799

Variation characteristics of stress distribution in the subchondral bone of the knee joint of judo athletes with long-term stress changes

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jan 24:13:1082799. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1082799. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Zhiqiang Li¹, Guanghua Xu^{1

2

3}, Chengjun Wang¹, Qiuyuan Wang⁴, Caiping Liu¹, Tingting Guo⁵, Lijun Wu⁶, Diankang Cao¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Physical Education, North University of China, Taiyuan, China.
² Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
³ Orthopedic Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
⁴ Graduate School of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
⁵ Ergonomics and Functional Clothing Laboratory, School of Textiles and Fashion, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, China.
⁶ School of Physical Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, China.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the distribution of bone density in the subchondral bone tissue of the knee joint due to the mechanical stress load generated by judo, the bone tissue volume of different densities and the bone remodeling characteristics of the subchondral bone of the knee joint.

Methods: CT imaging data of the knee joint were collected from 15 healthy individuals as controls and 15 elite judo athletes. Firstly, they were processed by the CTOAM technique, and secondly, the distribution pattern of high-density areas of the knee joint was localized using nine anatomical regions. In addition, three tomographic images were selected in the sagittal, coronal, and axial 2D image windows to observe the distribution of different densities of bone tissue. Finally, the percentage of bone tissue volume (%BTV) and bone remodeling trend of bone tissues with different densities were determined.

Results: In this study, high-density areas were found in the 4th, 5th, and 6th regions of the articular surface of the distal femur and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th regions of the tibial plateau in judo athletes; the distribution of high-density areas on the articular surface of the distal femur in control subjects was similar with judo athletes, and high-density areas were mainly found in the 4th and 5th regions of the tibial plateau. The %BTV of low (401-500HU in the distal femur; 301-400 HU and 401-500HU in the tibial plateau), moderate, and high bone density was higher in judo athletes than in controls in the subchondral bone of the distal femur and tibial plateau (P< 0.05).

Conclusion: The history of compressive stresses, struck stresses, soft tissue tension and pull, self-gravity and intra-articular stress loading generated by the lower limb exercise technique of judo leads to specific forms of stress distribution and bone tissue remodeling in the subchondral bone tissue within the distal femur and tibia plateau.

Keywords: Judo; computed tomography osteoabsorptiometry; distal femur; high density area; judo technique; stress; tibia plateau.

MeSH terms

Athletes
Bone Density*
Femur
Humans
Knee Joint* / diagnostic imaging
Tibia