Computerized tomographic analysis of tibial tubercle position in the painful female patellofemoral joint.

We used computerized tomography to evaluate the position of the tibial tubercle and to determine if the tibial tubercle is positioned more laterally in female patients with patellofemoral pain. We also wanted to determine the relationship of the tibial tubercle to tibial external rotation and patellar tilt. Sixty female patients and 19 healthy female controls were evaluated. To evaluate the position of the tibial tubercle, the tibial tubercle rotation angle (the angle formed by the line between the posteriormost edges of the medial and lateral femoral condyle and the line between the central point of the intercondylar space and the central point of the patellar tendon at the level of the tibial tubercle) was measured by superimposing the images from the level of the distal femoral condyle and the tibial tubercle. The relationship between the tibial tubercle rotation angle and patellar tilt was then assessed by dividing the patients into 3 subgroups according to the patellar tilt. The tibial tubercle rotation angle was significantly different between the patellofemoral pain patients and the controls. There were also significant differences between the patients with moderate patellar tilt (10 degrees to 20 degrees) and the controls, and between the patients with high patellar tilt (> 20 degrees) and the controls.