Shu-Hsia Wu, Ngok-Kiu Chu, Yiu-Chung Liu, Chih-Kuang Chen, Simon F.T. Tang, Cheng-Kung Cheng
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-0178

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare muscle activation patterns and patellofemoral joint morphologies between patients with knee osteoarthritis with and without patellar malalignment.
Subjects: The subjects were divided into 3 groups. Group A comprised 11 patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis without patellar malalignment. Group B comprised 14 patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis with patellar malalignment. Group C comprised 10 age-matched subjects with non-knee osteoarthritis as controls.
Methods: Isokinetic dynamometry with surface electromyography was used to measure maximal muscle activity in terms of vastus medialis oblique/vastus lateralis ratios. Merchant's view was taken to analyse the bony anatomy of the patellofemoral joint. Recordings were made at angular velocities of 80, 120 and 240º/sec.
Results: The electromyographic ratios of group B were lower than groups A and C for all testing velocities (p<0. 05). Group B also had larger sulcus angles, lateral patellar tilt and displacement. The electromyographic ratios correlated negatively with sulcus angles.
Conclusion: Subjects with knee osteoarthritis with patellar malalignment exhibited an imbalance in quadriceps contraction, as confirmed by altered vastus medialis oblique/vastus lateralis ratios associated with larger sulcus angles of the patellofemoral joints. The sulcus angle may be an important contributing factor in causing abnormal patellar tracking in knee osteoarthritis.