The morphometry of patella and patellar ligament during the fetal period

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Developmental Biology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• The patella and patellar tendon are critical for knee joint function.
• Understanding their fetal development is essential for diagnosing congenital anomalies and planning reconstructive surgeries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the developmental trajectory and morphological characteristics of the human fetal patella and patellar ligament.
• To collect precise morphometric data on these structures throughout fetal development.
• To establish normative data for the patella and patellar ligament during the fetal period.

Main Methods:

• Anatomical dissection of 105 human fetuses (9-40 weeks gestation).
• Categorization into four gestational age groups (9-12, 13-25, 26-37, 38-40 weeks).
• Measurement of patellar dimensions (length, width, thickness, articular surface width) and patellar ligament dimensions (length, width) using Vernier calipers.

Main Results:

• All measured parameters of the patella and patellar ligament showed a significant positive correlation with gestational age (P < 0.001).
• Statistically significant differences in all parameters were observed between different trimesters (P < 0.05).
• No significant gender or side-based differences were found for any measured parameters (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The study successfully characterized the morphological development and provided key morphometric data for the fetal patella and patellar ligament.
• Findings highlight the continuous growth and developmental changes of these structures throughout gestation.
• The obtained data can serve as a valuable reference for clinical applications, including prenatal diagnosis and surgical planning in pediatric orthopedics.