There is growing evidence suggesting a link between patellofemoral joint (PFJ) osteoarthritis in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-reconstructed knees and altered joint alignment.
To determine whether patellar alignment differs between participants with and without ACL reconstruction (ACLR) and to identify possible associations between patellar alignment and PFJ osteoarthritis features over 3 years.
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
A total of 37 participants with ACLR (sex, 23 male; mean ± SD age, 28.1 ± 7.4 years) and 20 healthy controls (13 male; 30.4 ± 4.8 years) participated. Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging: (1) sagittal T2-weighted fat-saturated fast spin echo images to calculate patellar alignment, (2) sagittal 3-dimensional intermediate-weighted fast spin echo Cube sequence for clinical morphological grading (modified Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score [WORMS]), and (3) sagittal combined T
When compared with control knees, ACLR knees exhibited a laterally and anteriorly displaced patella (
Participants with ACLR exhibited a laterally and anteriorly displaced patella, less flexion, and less lateral spin when compared with healthy controls. Excessive patellar lateral displacement was the strongest predictor to the development of PFJ osteoarthritis features longitudinally.