The association between patellar alignments features and tibiofemoral joint osteoarthritis

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic joint disease causing pain and functional disability especially among older adults [1]. Mechanical risk factors such as increased body mass index, previous knee injury, and intensive physical activity are important for onset and progression of knee OA [1]. Biomechanical alterations of femorotibial joint such as varus–valgus alignment have also been shown to be associated with development of knee OA [2, 3]. Alterations in the congruence of the patellofemoral joint, the other compartment of the knee joint, may also lead to abnormal stress on the articular surface of this compartment and predispose subjects to developing patellofemoral OA. The combined tibiofemoral joint osteoarthritis and patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis is more common than isolated osteoarthritis of each compartment [4]. It means that malalignment in one compartment of the knee joint (tibiofemoral or patellofemoral) may probably affects the distribution of mechanical stress on both compartments of the knee and may lead to the degenerative changes in both compartments. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the alignment of patellofemoral joint and femorotibial joint osteoarthritis. Materials methods