Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Nov 29;10(1):124.
doi: 10.1186/s40634-023-00709-6.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy measurements are reliable for studying patellar bone hemodynamics and affected by venous occlusion, but not by skin compression

Martin J Ophey  1   2   3 , Anne Westerweel  4 , Maxime van Oort  4 , Robert van den Berg  5   6   7 , Gino M M J Kerkhoffs  8   9   10 , Igor J R Tak  5   9   10   11
Affiliations

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy measurements are reliable for studying patellar bone hemodynamics and affected by venous occlusion, but not by skin compression

Martin J Ophey et al. J Exp Orthop. .

Abstract

Purpose: According to the homeostasis model, patellofemoral pain (PFP) results from disturbed homeostasis due to vascular insufficiency in the anterior knee. Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) measures relative changes in concentrations (in µmol/cm2) of (de-)oxygenated hemoglobine (HHb and O2Hb). The aims were to: 1) investigate the characteristics of the NIRS signal derived from the patella during experiments affecting hemodynamics in healthy controls, and 2) determine the test-retest reliability of NIRS in positions clinically relevant for PFP patients.

Methods: Two experiments were conducted on 10 healthy controls and analysed using Student's t-test. Reliability (ICC2,1) was evaluated for two activities ('Prolonged Sitting' and 'Stair Descent') in five PFP patients and 15 healthy controls, performed twice within five days.

Results: The NIRS signal (HHb and O2Hb) showed a statistically significant increase (p < .001 - .002) on all optodes (30, 35, 40 mm) during 'Venous Occlusion' (M = 1.0 - 2.0), while it showed no statistically significant change (p = .075 - .61) during 'Skin Compression' (M = -0.9 - 0.9) on the 30 and 35 mm optode. Reliability of NIRS (HHb and O2Hb) ranged from moderate to almost perfect (ICC2,1 = .47 - .95) on the 30 mm optode for 'Prolonged Sitting', and from moderate to substantial (ICC2,1 = .50 - .68) on the 35 mm optode for 'Stair Descent'.

Conclusions: Patella NIRS measurements are affected by venous occlusion, but not by skin compression, and are sufficiently reliable as research application to compare real-time patellar bone hemodynamics. These insights may assist to improve effectiveness of evidence-based treatment strategies for PFP.

Trial registration: ISRCTN Trial Registration under number: 90377123.

Keywords: Near-Infrared Spectroscopy; Patellofemoral pain; Reliability.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None. The authors certify that they have no affiliations with or financial involvement in any organization or entity with a direct financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in the article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Marks on the skin of the left knee and sensor placement on the right knee
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
a Skinfold measurement and 2b Patella width measurement
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
a Experiment 1 ‘Venous Occlusion’ and 3b Experiment 2 ‘Skin Compression’. (Note: Absence of the opaque cloth to visualise the set-up. During measurements the sensor was covered)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
a Activity 1 ‘Prolonged Sitting’ and 4b Activity 2 ‘Stair Descent´. (Note: Absence of the opaque cloth to visualise the set-up, during measurements the sensor was covered)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Flowchart of the inclusion process
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Plotted means of HHb and O2Hb (in µmol/cm.2) of Experiment 1 ‘Venous Occlusion’ and Experiment 2 ‘Skin Compression’. Abbreviations: HHb, deoxygenated hemoglobine; O2Hb, oxygenated hemoglobine for each optode (30, 35, 40 mm); min, minutes; A, baseline (3 min); B, experimental measurement (venous occlusion / skin compression) (1 min); C, recovery time (15 s)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Altunkan Ş, Iliman N, Kayatürk N, Altunkan E. Validation of the Omron M6 (HEM-7001-E) upper-arm blood pressure measuring device according to the International Protocol in adults and obese adults. Blood Press Monit. 2007;12:219–225. - PubMed
    1. Arnoldi CC. Patellar pain. Acta Orthop Scand Suppl. 1991;244:1–29. - PubMed
    1. Artinis Medical Systems . Manual Portalite for Oxysoft 3.0.95 and higher - Version 1610. 2016.
    1. Aziz SM, Khambatta F, Vaithianathan T, et al. A near infrared instrument to monitor relative hemoglobin concentrations of human bone tissue in vitro and in vivo. Rev Sci Instrum. 2010;81:043111. - PubMed
    1. Binzoni T, van de Ville D. Noninvasive probing of the neurovascular system in human bone/bone marrow using near-infrared light. J Innov Opt Health Sci. 2011;04:183–189.