An anatomical and biometrical study of the femoral trochlear groove in the human fetus.

We performed a biometric analysis of the femoral trochlear groove in the fetus and compared our findings with those observed in adults. We studied 44 formalin-preserved fetuses (13-38 weeks) and used digitized images to obtain measurements (alpha angle of the groove, trochlear slopes thetaL and thetaM). A comparison of means between our series and adults was achieved. For each angle of the distal epiphysis (alpha, thetaL, thetaM) there was no significant difference between our fetal series and adults. This is the first biometric study of fetal trochlea. The morphology of the lower femur appears to be the same in the fetus and the adult.