Human patellar tendon moment arm length: measurement considerations and clinical implications for joint loading assessment.

Detailed understanding of the knee joint loading requires the calculation of muscle and joint forces in different conditions. In these applications the patellar tendon moment arm length is essential for the accurate estimation of the tibiofemoral joint loading. In this article, different methods that have been used to determine the patellar tendon moment arm length under in vivo and in vitro conditions are reviewed. The limitations and advantages associated with each of the methods are evaluated together with their applications in the different loading conditions that the musculoskeletal system is subjected to. The three main measurement methods that this review considers are the geometric method, the tendon excursion method and the direct load method. A comparison of relevant quantitative results is presented to asses the impact of the errors of each method on the quantification of the patellar tendon moment arm and the implications for joint loading assessment in clinical applications.