Evaluation of the normal tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance with magnetic resonance imaging in a Turkish population

Abstract

Aim: Patellar instability is a common multifactorial knee pathology with a high recurrence rate. In this condition, the symptoms often continue and result in the patient becoming susceptible to chondromalacia and osteoarthritis. Tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove distance (TT-TG) is very important in the evaluation of patellofemoral joint instability. In this study, we investigated the normal value of TT-TG distance in men and women of different age groups and evaluated the reliability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in TT-TG distance measurement. Material and Method: The study was carried out between January 2017 and December 2017 on 99 patients over the age of 18, all reporting knee pain but presenting with normal knee examination and MRI findings. The patients with abnormal findings on knee MRI or physical examination were excluded from the study. Results: The mean age of the patients was 41.1 ± 11.0 years with a median of 40 (18-68) years. The mean TT-TG distance in the whole population was 9.3 ± 3.3 mm, with a mean value of 9.9 ± 3.6 mm in men and 8.8 ± 3.0 mm in women. Within the male and female patient groups, the TT-TG distance did not significantly differ by age (p = 0.646 and p = 0.570, respectively). Discussion:In the present study, no significant difference was identified in the TT-TG distance measurement between males and females in different age groups. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that MRI is a reliable method for the evaluation of TT-TG distance.