WFUMB Ultrasound Open (Jun 2024)
The relationships among knee and patella alignments, body mass index, quadriceps, and knee adduction moments in healthy young females
Abstract
Objective: To determine the relationships among knee and patella alignments, BMI, quadriceps, and knee adduction moments, which are associated with knee osteoarthritis, in healthy people. Methods: In 60 young females, intercondylar distances normalized by body height, Q-angle, and BMI were assessed. The ratios of individual muscle:quadriceps thicknesses measured using ultrasonography were calculated. Correlations between these parameters were evaluated. Ten subjects were selected from the VALGUS, mild VARUS, or severe VARUS knee groups (<1.5 %, 1.5 %≤normalized intercondylar distance<2.0 %, and 2.0 %≤, respectively). The external knee adduction moments measured by three-dimensional gait analysis were compared among the 3 groups, and the correlations with BMI, the Q-angle, and the individual quadriceps thickness ratios were evaluated for each of the 3 groups. Results: The normalized intercondylar distance and Q-angle increased as the vastus medialis:quadriceps thickness ratio increased (r = 0.29 and r = 0.28, respectively), while BMI increased as the vastus medialis:quadriceps thickness ratio decreased (rs = −0.59) and the rectus femoris:quadriceps thickness ratio increased (rs = 0.34). The knee adduction moment in the severe VARUS was greatest (effect size = 2.1 versus the VALGUS; effect size = 1.7 versus the mild VARUS); however, the knee adduction moment increased as the vastus medialis:quadriceps thickness ratio decreased (r = −0.68) and the rectus femoris:quadriceps thickness ratio increased (r = 0.66) in the mild VARUS, whereas the knee adduction moment increased as the Q-angle decreased in the severe VARUS (rs = −0.83). Conclusion: The vastus medialis:quadriceps thickness ratio was related to knee and patellar alignment and BMI. The mechanism by which the knee adduction moment is reduced differs according to the degree of knee alignment.
