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Published in: International Orthopaedics 4/2021

01-04-2021 | Computed Tomography | Invited Papers

Tibial tuberosity–tibial intercondylar midpoint distance measured on computed tomography scanner is not biased during knee rotation and could be clinically more relevant than current measurement systems

Authors: Dinko Nizić, Marko Šimunović, Goran Pavliša, Mislav Jelić

Published in: International Orthopaedics | Issue 4/2021

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional case-control study was to evaluate an alternative imaging test for lateralization of the tibial tuberosity, unbiased towards knee rotation.

Methods

On axial CT images of 129 knees, classified as cases (two or more patellar luxations) and controls (no patellar luxations), two raters gauged the standard tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove (TT–TG) distance, tibial tuberosity–femoral intercondylar midpoint (TT–FIM) distance, and new tibial tuberosity–tibial intercondylar midpoint (TT–TIM) distance singly, and knee longitudinal rotation angles (LRAs), and the presence of femoral trochlear dysplasia (FTD) jointly.

Results

All imaging tests intercorrelated and discriminated between stability groups. TT–TIM had the lowest values with the highest precision. Though poorly, TT–TG and TT–FIM negatively correlated with age and LRAs regarding femur, but positively with presence of FTD, whereas TT–TIM was unbiased. The accuracy of TT–TG (> 20 mm), TT–FIM (> 20 mm), and TT–TIM (> 13 mm) was good with almost perfect reproducibility. Only TT–TIM was sex-biased (p = 0.009), with > 12 mm cut-off in females and (presumably) > 14 mm in males.

Conclusion

TT–TIM is an alternative imaging test for lateralization of the tibial tuberosity, unbiased towards knee rotation.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Tibial tuberosity–tibial intercondylar midpoint distance measured on computed tomography scanner is not biased during knee rotation and could be clinically more relevant than current measurement systems
Authors
Dinko Nizić
Marko Šimunović
Goran Pavliša
Mislav Jelić
Publication date
01-04-2021
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
International Orthopaedics / Issue 4/2021
Print ISSN: 0341-2695
Electronic ISSN: 1432-5195
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-020-04820-6

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