Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of patellofemoral joint morphology and patellar alignment (lateral patellar tilt and sagittal patellar tilt) on the presence and stage of CP, and identify the differences between sexes.
Methods
MRI of 243 patients [146 men (60.1%)] were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were grouped as normal group without chondromalacia, group with mild chondromalacia (grades 1–2) and group with severe chondromalacia (grades 3–4). Sagittal patellofemoral alignment was assessed by the angle between the patella and patellar tendon (P-PTA), and the angle between the quadriceps tendon and patella (Q-PA). Patellar tilt was assessed by lateral patellar tilt angle (LPTA). In addition, patellofemoral joint morphology was evaluated by measuring trochlear depth (TD), trochlear sulcus angle (TSA) and patella angle (PA).
Results
P-PTA, Q-PA, LPTA and TD values were significantly lower in patients with severe chondromalacia than in patients with both normal and mild chondromalacia (P < 0.001). TSA values were significantly higher in patients with severe chondromalacia than those with both normal and mild chondromalacia (P < 0.001). TSA was higher and TD was lower in women compared to men (P < 0.001). LPTA and P-PTA were lower in women compared to men, and the difference was significant. There was no difference in PA between the two sexes.
Conclusions
Patellar cartilage degeneration increases with trochlear dysplasia. There is a strong correlation between patellar malalignment (lateral patellar tilt and sagittal patellar tilt) and chondromalacia patella. Women are more prone to developing CP than men.
Similar content being viewed by others
Change history
12 June 2020
The original article can be found online.
References
Aksahin E, Aktekin CN, Kocadal O et al (2017) Sagittal plane tilting deformity of the patellofemoral joint: a new concept in patients with chondromalacia patella. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 25(10):3038–3045
Aksahin E, Kocadal O, Aktekin CN, Kaya D, Pepe M, Yılmaz S, Yuksel HY, Bicimoglu A (2016) The effects of the sagittal plane malpositioning of the patella and concomitant quadriceps hypotrophy on the patellofemoral joint: a finite element analysis. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 24:903–908
Aksahin E, Yilmaz S, Karasoy I, Duran S, Yuksel HY, Dogan O, Yildirim AO, Bicimoglu A (2016) Sagittal patellar tilt and concomitant quadriceps hypotrophy after tibial nailing. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 24:2878–2883
Aysin IK, Askin A, Mete BD, Guvendi E, Aysin M, Kocyigit H (2018) Investigation of the relationship between anterior knee pain and chondromalacia patellae and patellofemoral malalignment. Eurasian J Med. 50(1):28–33
Crema MD, Roemer FW, Marra MD et al (2011) Articular cartilage in the knee: current MR imaging techniques and applications in clinical practice and research. Radiographics 31(1):37–61
Duran S, Cavusoglu M, Kocadal O, Sakman B (2017) Association between trochlear morphology and chondromalacia patella: an MRI study. Clin Imaging 41:7–10
Endo Y, Schweitzer ME, Bordalo-rodrigues M, Rokito AS, Babb JS (2007) MRI quantitative morphologic analysis of patellofemoral region: lack of correlation with chondromalacia patellae at surgery. AJR Am J Roentgenol 189(5):1165–1168
Farrokhi S, Keyak JH, Powers CM (2011) Individuals with patellofemoral pain exhibit greater patellofemoral joint stress: a finite element analysis study. Osteoarthr Cartil 19(3):287–294
Houghton KM (2007) Review for the generalist: evaluation of anterior knee pain. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 4:5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1546-0096-5-8
Kalichman L, Zhang Y, Niu J et al (2007) The association between patellar alignment and patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis features—an MRI study. Rheumatology (Oxford) 46(8):1303–1308
Macmull S, Jaiswal PK, Bentley G, Skinner JA, Carrington RW, Briggs TW (2012) The role of autologous chondrocyte implantation in the treatment of symptomatic chondromalacia patellae. Int Orthop 36(7):1371–1377
Mehl J, Feucht MJ, Bodde G et al (2016) Association between patellar cartilage defects and patellofemoral geometry: a matched-pair MRI comparison of patients with and without isolated patellar cartilage defects. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 24(3):838–846
Mete BD, Gursoy M, Kocyiğit H (2015) Magnetic resonance imaging of the patellofemoral joint. Turk J Phys Med Rehab 61:261–271
Noehren B, Duncan S, Lattermann C (2012) Radiographic parameters associated with lateral patella degeneration in young patients. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 20(12):2385–3239
Özdemir M, Kavak RP (2019) Chondromalacia patella among military recruits with anterior knee pain: prevalence and association with patellofemoral malalignment. Indian J Orthop 53(6):682–768
Skiadas V, Perdikakis E, Plotas A, Lahanis S (2013) MR imaging of anterior knee pain: a pictorial essay. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 21(2):294–304
Pihlajamäki HK, Kuikka PI, Leppänen VV, Kiuru MJ, Mattila VM (2010) Reliability of clinical findings and magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of chondromalacia patellae. J Bone Joint Surg Am 92(4):927–934
Stefanik JJ, Roemer FW, Zumwalt AC, Zhu Y, Gross KD, Lynch JA, Frey-Law LA, Lewis CE, Guermazi A, Powers CM, Felson DT (2012) Association between measures of trochlear morphology and structural features of patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis on MRI: the MOST study. J Orthop Res NIH Public Access 30:1–8
Tanamas SK, Teichtahl AJ, Wluka AE, Wang Y, Davies-Tuck M, Urquhart DM, Jones G, Cicuttini FM (2010) The associations between indices of patellofemoral geometry and knee pain and patella cartilage volume: a cross-sectional study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord BioMed Central 11:87. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-11-87
Tuna BK, Semiz-oysu A, Pekar B, Bukte Y, Hayirlioglu A (2014) The association of patellofemoral joint morphology with chondromalacia patella: a quantitative MRI analysis. Clin Imaging 38(4):495–549
Vasiliadis HS, Lindahl A, Georgoulis AD, Peterson L (2011) Malalignment and cartilage lesions in the patellofemoral joint treated with autologous chondrocyte implantation. Knee Surg Sport Traumatol Arthrosc Springer 19:452–457
Yang B, Tan H, Yang L, Dai G, Guo B (2009) Correlating anatomy and congruence of the patellofemoral joint with cartilage lesions. Orthopedics 32(1):20
Funding
No funding was used.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
All procedures performed in studies including human participants were in accordance with ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
The original version of this article was revised: Error in article title is corrected here.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Damgacı, L., Özer, H. & Duran, S. Patella–patellar tendon angle and lateral patella–tilt angle decrease patients with chondromalacia patella. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 28, 2715–2721 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-06065-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-020-06065-7