DOES PREOPERATIVE TIBIAL TUBEROSITY – TROCHLEAR GROOVE DISTANCE EFFECT ON POSTOPERATIVE PATELLAR INSTABILITY IN THE PATIENTS WITH KNEE ARTHROPLASTY DUE TO MEDIUM-ADVANCED KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS?

Abstract

Objectives: Determining tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance range as measured before the operation in the patients to whom total knee prosthesis will be applied due to mid to advanced level of osteoarthritic and seeing the post-operative variations in tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance and evaluating whether it has any impact on the patellofemoral instability that might develop after the operation.46 knees planned to be applied total knee prosthesis due to mid-advanced level of osteoarthritic were examined. Methods: In the preoperative and postoperative magnetic resonance images MRI routinely taken, tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance was measured. Later it was examined whether there was correlation between these preoperative and postoperative tibial tubercle-trochlear groove measurements and the data recorded before operation. Results: Preoperative tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance was found to be 8.83±3.54, postoperative tibial tubercle-trochlear groovedistance was found to be 8.30±3.89 and preoperative-postoperative tibial tubercle-trochlear groove variation was found to be 0,52±3,64 (p=0,337). In the patients whose alignment was 10 degrees or less, Pre-Op tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance was measured as 8.74±3.18 and in the patients whose alignment was more than 10 degrees, it was measured as 8.89±3,83 ( p=0.888). In the patients whose alignment was 10 degrees or less, Post-Op tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance was measured as 8.00±2.85 and in the patients whose alignment was more than 10 degrees, it was measured as 8.52±4.52 (p=0.661). In the patients whose alignment was 10 degrees or less, tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance variation was measured as 0.74± 3.25 and in the patients whose alignment was more than 10 degrees, it was measured as 0.37± 3.95 (p=0.741). Conclusion: As a result, although tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance was observed with a great variation in the osteoarthritic knees at stage 3-4, it was nonetheless measured within normal limits and Post-Op variation was not meaningful. Since this is the first study in the literature on the measurement of tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance in the total knee prosthesis applications, we hope that it would shed some light on similar studies to be conducted in the future.

Keywords

• knee biomechanics
• tibial tubercle
• trochlear groove
• total knee arthroplasty
• patellar instability