The Role Of The Iliotibial Band Cross-Sectional Area As A Morphological Parameter Of The Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome: Aretrospective Pilot Study

Background: Iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS) is a common disorder of the lateral knee. Previous research has reported that the iliotibial band (ITB) thickness (ITBT) is correlated with ITBFS, and ITBT has been considered to be a key morphologic parameter of ITBFS. However, the thickness is different from inflammatory hypertrophy. Thus, we made the ITB cross-sectional area (ITBCSA) a new morphological parameter to assess ITBFS.Methods: Forty-three patients with ITBFS group and from 43 normal group who underwent T1W magnetic resonance imaging were enrolled. The ITBCSA was measured as the cross-sectional area of the ITB that was most hypertrophied in the magnetic resonance axial images. The ITBT was measured as the thickest site of ITB.Results: The mean ITBCSA was 25.24 ? 6.59 mm2 in the normal group and 38.75 ? 9.11 mm2 in the ITBFS group. The mean ITBT was 1.94 ? 0.41 mm in the normal group and 2.62 ? 0.46 mm in the ITBFS group. Patients in ITBFS group had significantly higher ITBCSA (P < 0.001) and ITBT (P < 0.001) than the normal group. A receiver operator characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the best cut-off value of the ITBT was 2.29 mm, with 76.7% sensitivity, 79.1% specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) 0.88. The optimal cut-off score of the ITBCSA was 30.66 mm2, with 79.1% sensitivity, 79.1% specificity, and AUC 0.87.Conclusions: ITBCSA is a new and sensitive morphological parameter for diagnosing ITBFS, and may even be more accurate than ITBT.