Ultrasound and MRI measurements of joint cartilage in healthy children. A validation study.

In juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), proliferative changes in the synovium and synovial fluid accumulation are pathological findings responsible for damage to the cartilaginous tissue and periarticular bone, which are late radiographic findings in conventional radiography. Early detection of these joint changes would allow the clinicians to initiate relevant therapies as is essential for the long-term outcome of JIA. Ultrasonography (US) has shown great potential for this purpose but validation in a pediatric setting is needed. The objective of this study was to validate US measurements of cartilage thickness in target joints in healthy children by comparing them with MRI.