Relationship between the trochlear groove angle and patellar cartilage morphology defined by 3D spoiled gradient-echo imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the femoral trochlear groove angle (TGA) is a determinant of the patellar cartilage volume and patellar cartilage damage.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patellar cartilage was evaluated by MR imaging in 66 patients (22 males and 44 females) with knee pain. Fat-suppressed 3D spoiled gradient-echo images were used to calculate the cartilage volume and to grade the cartilage damage. The proximal and distal TGAs were measured from axial PD-weighted FSE MR images with fat suppression.
RESULTS: For every increase in the TGA at the distal femur, the patellar cartilage volume was significantly increased by 6.07 × 10(-3) cm(3) (95% CI: 1.27 × 10(-3), 10.9 × 10(-3)) after adjustment for age, gender, and patellar bone volume (P < 0.05). The MR grade of medial patellar cartilage damage progressed as the distal TGA became narrower, although there was no significant correlation between the distal TGA and the MR grading of patellar cartilage damage.
CONCLUSION: A more flattened distal TGA was associated with increased patellar cartilage volume. However, there was no association between TGA and patellar cartilage defects.