Can Patellar Tendon Angle reveal sagittal kinematics in total knee arthroplasty?

Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2010 Jul;18(7):949-54. doi: 10.1007/s00167-010-1075-7. Epub 2010 Feb 17.

Abstract

The Patellar Tendon Angle is strongly correlated with both patello-femoral and tibio-femoral joint kinematics. Thus, the Patellar Tendon Angle might be regarded as a concise indicator of the antero-posterior translation of the femur with respect to the tibia. Twelve subjects, who had undergone total knee arthroplasty, were investigated by video-fluoroscopy during step-up/down. The kinematics at the replaced knee was reconstructed by means of 3D fluoroscopy. The Patellar Tendon Angle and the knee-flexion angle were measured on sagittal fluoroscopic images with software designed for the purpose. The slope of the linear trend of the Patellar Tendon Angle versus knee-flexion angle relationship correlated significantly with the mean (p = 0.001), most anterior (p = 0.001), and most posterior (p = 0.016) position reached by the femur over the tibia. The Patellar Tendon Angle versus knee-flexion angle relationship provides relevant information about the anterior or posterior positioning of the femur over the tibia, but it cannot be interpreted as quantification of the actual antero-posterior translation of the femur over the tibia.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee*
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Fluoroscopy
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Knee Joint / diagnostic imaging
  • Knee Joint / physiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Patellar Ligament / diagnostic imaging
  • Patellar Ligament / physiology*
  • Range of Motion, Articular / physiology