Correlation between severity of knee joint osteoarthritis and alignment of patellofemoral and patellar height on radiographs.
10.1097/CM9.0000000000003392
- Author:
Zhenlei YANG
1
;
Mingjie SHEN
2
;
Deshun XIE
3
;
Junzhe ZHANG
4
;
Qingjun WEI
5
Author Information
1. Department of Trauma Orthopedic and Hand Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China.
2. Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, Heze Municipal Hospital, Heze, Shandong 274031, China.
3. Department of CT, Heze Municipal Hospital, Heze, Shandong 274031, China.
4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050051, China.
5. Department of Orthopedics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China.
- Publication Type:Multicenter Study
- Keywords:
Knee joint osteoarthritis;
Lateral patella tilt angle;
Magnetic resonance imaging scans;
Sulcus angle
- MeSH:
Humans;
Female;
Male;
Osteoarthritis, Knee/pathology*;
Middle Aged;
Retrospective Studies;
Aged;
Patellofemoral Joint/pathology*;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
Adult;
Patella/pathology*;
Radiography
- From:
Chinese Medical Journal
2025;138(8):947-952
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND:The correlation between the morphological structure of the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) and the severity of knee joint osteoarthritis (KOA) remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate the correlation between the severity of knee joint osteoarthritis and the alignment of patellofemoral and patellar height on radiographs.
METHODS:This multi-center, retrospective study analyzed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and anteroposterior radiographs of 534 adult outpatients with KOA. To evaluate the radiographic severity of KOA, anteroposterior radiographs of the knee and the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade were used. Knee MRI scans were used to measure the patellar length ratio (PLR), sulcus angle (SA), lateral patellar tilt angle (LPTA), and the distance between tibial tuberosity and trochlear groove (TT-TG). We examined the association between the configuration of the PFJ, arrangement, and harshness of the KOA. Information on participants' demographics, such as age, sex, side, height, and weight, was collected. A chi-squared test was used for the correlation of radiographic severity of KOA with sex and the affected side. Spearman correlation was used for patellofemoral alignment or morphology and the radiographic severity of lateral KOA. Multiple linear regression models were used for the association between LPTA, SA, TT-TG, and severity of KOA after accounting for demographic variables.
RESULTS:The study comprised of 534 patients; of these, 339 (63%) were female. A total of 586 knees were evaluated in this study. Age showed a strong positive correlation with KOA severity ( r = 0.516, P <0.01), whereas LPTA showed a strong negative correlation ( r = -0.662, P <0.01). Additionally, SA ( r = 0.616, P <0.05), and TT-TG showed a strong positive correlation ( r = 0.770, P <0.01) with tibiofemoral osteoarthritis (TFOA) severity. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that knee osteoarthritis severity (β = -2.946, P <0.001) and side (β = -0.839, P = 0.001) was associated with LPTA; knee osteoarthritis severity (β = 5.032, P <0.001) and age (β = -0.095, P <0.001) was associated with SA; knee osteoarthritis severity (β = 2.445, P <0.001), sex (β = -0.326, P = 0.041), body mass index (β = -0.061, P = 0.017) and age (β = -0.025, P <0.001) was associated with TT-TG.
CONCLUSION:Radiographic severity of KOA was positively associated with age, SA, and TT-TG but negatively associated with LPTA.
