Background: In patients with patellar instability, a pathological tibial tubercle–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance is a risk factor. However, the TT-TG distance gives no information about the location of the malformation. Hypothesis: Not all patients with a pathological TT-TG distance (≥20 mm) had lateralization of the tibial tubercle. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Fifty-eight knees in 49 patients with 2 or more patellar dislocations and 60 knees in 30 volunteers with no history of dislocation were analyzed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The tibial tubercle–posterior cruciate ligament (TT-PCL) distance was defined as the mediolateral distance between the tibial tubercle midpoint and the medial border of the posterior cruciate ligament. The distance was measured parallel to the dorsal aspect of the proximal tibia (dorsal tibia condylar line). Three observers performed the measurements. Significant differences in the TT-PCL distance between the patient and the control group were estimated using an unpaired t test. The inter- and intraobserver variability of the measurement was performed. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficients for inter- and intraobserver variability of the TT-PCL distance were higher than 0.74 and 0.93, respectively. A statistically significant difference (P < .05) was found between the TT-PCL distance in the control group (mean [SD], 18.4 [3.35] mm) and in patients (21.9 [4.30] mm). The mean (SD) TT-TG was 18.9 (5.16) mm in the patient group and 11.9 (4.67) mm in the control group (P < .05). In the control group, 95% had a TT-PCL distance <24 mm. In the patient group, 22 of 58 knee joints (38%) had a TT-PCL distance ≥24 mm. Seventeen of 40 knee joints (43%) with a TT-TG distance ≥20 mm had a TT-PCL distance <24 mm. Conclusion: Only 57% of the patients with a pathological TT-TG distance (≥20 mm) had lateralization of the tibial tubercle in relation to the posterior cruciate ligament. The TT-PCL distance is an alternative method for determining the position of the tibial tubercle.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that patella alta leads to a less favourable situation in terms of patellofemoral contact force, contact area and contact pressure than the normal patellar position, and thereby gives rise to anterior knee pain.A dynamic knee simulator system based on the Oxford rig and allowing six degrees of freedom was adapted in order to simulate and record the dynamic loads during a knee squat from 30° to 120° flexion under physiological conditions. Five different configurations were studied, with variable predetermined patellar heights.The patellofemoral contact force increased with increasing knee flexion until contact occurred between the quadriceps tendon and the femoral trochlea, inducing load sharing. Patella alta caused a delay of this contact until deeper flexion. As a consequence, the maximal patellofemoral contact force and contact pressure increased significantly with increasing patellar height (p < 0.01). Patella alta was associated with the highest maximal patellofemoral contact force and contact pressure. When averaged across all flexion angles, a normal patellar position was associated with the lowest contact pressures.Our results indicate that there is a biomechanical reason for anterior knee pain in patients with patella alta.

The understanding of rotational alignment of the distal femur is essential in total knee replacement to ensure that there is correct placement of the femoral component. Many reference axes have been described, but there is still disagreement about their value and mutual angular relationship. Our aim was to validate a geometrically-defined reference axis against which the surface-derived axes could be compared in the axial plane. A total of 12 cadaver specimens underwent CT after rigid fixation of optical tracking devices to the femur and the tibia. Three-dimensional reconstructions were made to determine the anatomical surface points and geometrical references. The spatial relationships between the femur and tibia in full extension and in 90° of flexion were examined by an optical infrared tracking system. After co-ordinate transformation of the described anatomical points and geometrical references, the projection of the relevant axes in the axial plane of the femur were mathematically achieved. Inter- and intra-observer variability in the three-dimensional CT reconstructions revealed angular errors ranging from 0.16° to 1.15° for all axes except for the trochlear axis which had an interobserver error of 2°. With the knees in full extension, the femoral transverse axis, connecting the centres of the best matching spheres of the femoral condyles, almost coincided with the tibial transverse axis (mean difference −0.8°, sd 2.05). At 90° of flexion, this femoral transverse axis was orthogonal to the tibial mechanical axis (mean difference −0.77°, sd 4.08). Of all the surface-derived axes, the surgical transepicondylar axis had the closest relationship to the femoral transverse axis after projection on to the axial plane of the femur (mean difference 0.21°, sd 1.77). The posterior condylar line was the most consistent axis (range −2.96° to −0.28°, sd 0.77) and the trochlear anteroposterior axis the least consistent axis (range −10.62° to +11.67°, sd 6.12). The orientation of both the posterior condylar line and the trochlear anteroposterior axis (p = 0.001) showed a trend towards internal rotation with valgus coronal alignment.