BACKGROUND:Ultrasonography as a noninvasive means has been widely recognized in the examination of the skeletal muscle system. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of ultrasonography for the elderly with degenerative knee cartilage. METHODS:Totaly 102 patients (204 knees) who were≥ 60 years old and successively admitted for knee disease were selected and according to clinical diagnostic criteria of degenerative knee disease, divided into two groups: osteoarthritis group (167 knees) and non-osteoarthritis group (37 knees). Al the knees were subjected to ultrasonography for observing the effusion depth of the suprapatelar bursa, medial bursa and lateral bursa, as wel as the synovium, pannus and cartilage. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Of the 204 knee joints, degenerative changes of the knee occurred in 167 knees, primary knee arthritis in 91 knees, secondary knee arthritis in 76 knees, and the degeneration rate was 82%. The volume of effusion in the suprapatelar bursa, medial bursa and lateral bursa was significantly higher in the osteoarthritis group than the non-osteoarthritis group. In the osteoarthritis group, synovial hyperplasia was in 59 knees, pannus formation in 23 knees, rough cartilage surface in 167 knees, and the knee cartilage thinning or loss in 117 knees. In the non-osteoarthritis group, synovial hyperplasia was in 5 knees, rough cartilage surface in 27 knees, and the knee cartilage thinning or loss in 4 knees. These findings indicate that ultrasonography is of certain clinical significance in evaluation of degenerative knee cartilage in the elderly.