T. Muneta et al., COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF TIBIAL TUBERCLE POSITION IN THE PAINFUL FEMALE PATELLOFEMORAL JOINT, American journal of sports medicine, 22(1), 1994, pp. 67-71
We used computerized tomography to evaluate the position of the tibial
tubercle and to determine if the tibial tubercle is positioned more l
aterally in female patients with patellofemoral pain. We also wanted t
o determine the relationship of the tibial tubercle to tibial external
rotation and patellar tilt. Sixty female patients and 19 healthy fema
le controls were evaluated. To evaluate the position of the tibial tub
ercle, the tibial tubercle rotation angle (the angle formed by the lin
e between the posteriormost edges of the medial and lateral femoral co
ndyle and the line between the central point of the intercondylar spac
e and the central point of the patellar tendon at the level of the tib
ial tubercle) was measured by superimposing the images from the level
of the distal femoral condyle and the tibial tubercle. The relationshi
p between the tibial tubercle rotation angle and patellar tilt was the
n assessed by dividing the patients into 3 subgroups according to the
patellar tilt. The tibial tubercle rotation angle was significantly di
fferent between the patellofemoral pain patients and the controls. The
re were also significant differences between the patients with moderat
e patellar tilt (10 degrees to 20 degrees) and the controls, and betwe
en the patients with high patellar tilt (>20 degrees) and the controls
.