The geometry of patella and patellar tendon measured on Knee MRI

Abstract

This study provides the geometry of patella and patellar tendon measured on sagittal and axial magnetic resonance images of 172 knees (142 males, 30 females) of 163 subjects (135 males, 28 females) whose mean age was 26.7. The gender difference and the relationship with anthropometry were also given. As for patella, the longitudinal lengths of the whole and articulating surface were 44.6, 32.9 mm, and the thickness was 22.3 mm. The mediolateral width was 45.8 mm, and the central ridge was located 19.9 mm or 43% lateral from the medial border. As for patellar tendon, the longitudinal length was 40.2 mm. The widths of proximal and distal part were 30.3, and 24.0 mm. The thicknesses of proximal and distal part were 3.2, and 5.0 mm. The geometry of the patella and patellar tendon was larger in male than in female (P < 0.001). Anthropometry including weight, height, body mass index corresponds well with the thickness of patella but poorly with the length of patellar tendon. These data can provide useful information in the field of knee surgery and sports medicine.

Tendinopatia patelar

“…O tendão patelar apresenta largura (plano coronal) de aproximadamente 3cm proximalmente e 2,4cm distalmente, espessura de 3mm proximalmente e 5mm distalmente, e comprimento (plano sagital) de 4,5 a 5cm, não havendo diferenças de comprimento entre os sexos (4)(5) . A espessura do tendão patelar mostrou-se mais fina nas mulheres que em homens (5) .…”

The morphometry of patella and patellar ligament during the fetal period

“…Both the patella and patellar ligament have been analyzed in adults and have been found to exhibit such differences (Grelsamer and Meadows, 1992;Miller et al, 1996;Introna et al, 1998;Biedert and Albrecht, 2006;Yoo et al, 2007;Mahfouz et al, 2007). These data are essential for a full understanding of knee biomechanics and may be relevant to forensic science and anthropology as well (Kemkes-Grottenthaler, 2005;Mahfouz et al, 2007).…”

“…Detailed morphological data on the patella and the patellar ligament are critical to understanding the normal mechanics of the knee joint, pathogenesis of disorders involving the knee, and surgical management, including reconstructive procedures (Miller et al, 1996;Yoo et al, 2007). The anatomical position of the patella is an important factor in the natural history of disorders of the patellofemoral joint (Schlenzka and Schwesinger, 1990;Andrikoula et al, 2006;White and Sherman, 2009).…”

Determination of patellar ligament and anterior cruciate ligament geometry using MRI

“…The main sequences used in clinics are as follows: spin echo sequence, FSE sequence, fat-suppression sequence, gradient echo sequence, echo planar imaging sequence, high-resolution MRI, and 3-D Fourier-transformation imaging and dynamic MRI (Harms et al, 1989;Kojima et al, 1996). T1WI is recommended in the spin echo sequence (Yoo et al, 2007), which requires T1-and T2-weighted sequences in normal ligament MRI scans. Normally, some other forms of T2 weighting, such as T2* and short TI inversion recovery sequencing, are used to compensate for T2-weighting limitations.…”

“…Miller and Oiszewski (1997) and Huang and Liu (2000) reported a few in vivo cases wherein the determination tools were not computerized. Yoo et al (2007) and He et al (2008) used sagittal plane images to determine the patellar central plane of the PL. The position of the femur was not fixed, such that the plane examined in this view was actually the PL gravity plane.…”