PATELLAR STABILIZATION - A QUANTITATIVE-EVALUATION OF THE VASTUS MEDIALIS OBLIQUUS MUSCLE

Twenty-one cadaveric knees were dissected to analyze the functional an atomy of the vastus medialis complex (VMC), which is composed of the v astus medialis obliquus (VMO) and the vastus medialis longus (VML) mus cles. The physiologic cross-sectional area of the VMO for 20 of the kn ees was 29% of the total physiologic cross-sectional area for the VMC. These values differed in one knee with a dysplastic VMO. The quantita tive description of the VMO provided by this study will facilitate fut ure efforts to accurately model the physiologic function of the VMO in cadaveric investigations on patellofemoral mechanics. The effect of s imulated pathologies and surgical reconstructions then may be determin ed with more certainty to improve patient management.