Vibroarthrography in the evaluation of musculoskeletal system - a pilot study.

BACKGROUND. Disorders of the articular surfaces are associated with impaired quality of joint motion and joint play. Crepitations are the hallmark clinical sign. This paper aims to present the possibilities of using vibroacoustic signal analysis in assessing the function of articular surfaces in the course of disorders of the knee and shoulder. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The study involved 30 people, 10 for each of the following disorders: patellar chondromalacia (Ch), meniscal tears (Mc), and degenerative changes of the glenohumeral joint (GH). A control group (K1-K3) was matched to each dysfunctional group. 6-second vibroacoustic signals (VAG) were recorded during motion in particular joints. The resulting time series were filtered (50-1000 Hz) and the following parameters were calculated: variance-mean-square (VMS), the mean of the four lowest and four highest values (R4) and the total spectral power density in the 50-250 Hz (P1) and 250-450 Hz (P2) ranges. RESULTS. Depending on the type of disorder, VAG signals in the dysfunctional groups were characterized by higher variability, amplitude and frequency than was the case in the control groups. This is reflected in the values of all parameters (VMS, R4, P1, P2), which were significantly higher in the Ch, Mc and GH groups compared to K1-K3. CONCLUSIONS. 1. Vibroarthrography can be a useful tool for accurate and objective assessment of the quality of joint motion. 2. The non-invasive nature of vibroarthrography allows the use of this method to monitor the effects of the treatment of joint structures.