Patellofemoral malalignment and lateral patellar cartilage degeneration in adults with an Osgood–Schlatter-compatible MRI phenotype
Halil Tekdemir, Semra Duran, Büşra Boyraz HayatBackground
Residual tibial tubercle morphology compatible with previous Osgood–Schlatter disease (OSD) may coexist with patellofemoral malalignment; however, its relationship with patellar cartilage damage is unclear.
Purpose
To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based patellofemoral morphology between adults with and without an OSD-compatible MRI phenotype and evaluate imaging factors associated with lateral patellar cartilage degeneration.
Material and Methods
This retrospective study included 199 adults (209 knees) with an OSD-compatible MRI phenotype and 238 age- and sex-frequency-matched symptomatic comparison participants. Patellofemoral measurements and lateral patellar cartilage were assessed on 1.5-T MRI. A patient-clustered parsimonious generalized estimating equation model included age, sulcus angle, patellar tilt, and Insall–Salvati index; performance was evaluated by patient-level bootstrap.
Results
OSD-compatible knees showed greater patellofemoral malalignment and more frequent lateral patellar cartilage degeneration than symptomatic comparison knees (47.8% vs. 10.1%;
Conclusion
Adults with an OSD-compatible MRI phenotype had more patellofemoral malalignment and lateral patellar cartilage degeneration than symptomatic comparison participants. The cross-sectional design and unmeasured confounding limit causal and population-level inference.