The correlation between medial plica and trochlear dysplasis: An MRI study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• Trochlear dysplasia is a primary congenital cause of anterior knee pain.
• Understanding its association with medial patellar plica is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between trochlear dysplasia and medial patellar plica.
• To classify plica types based on the severity of trochlear dysplasia.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case-control study involving 138 knee MRI scans.
• Comparison of medial plica presence and types between 69 patients with trochlear dysplasia and 69 controls.
• Statistical analysis using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.

Main Results:

• Medial plica was observed in 75.3% of patients (104/138).
• Plica distribution: 67.3% Type 1, 24% Type 2, 8.6% Type 3.
• Medial plica, particularly Type 2 and Type 3, was significantly more frequent in trochlear dysplasia (P < 0.001).
• Type 3 plica was exclusively found in patients with trochlear dysplasia.

Conclusions:

• Medial patellar plica is more prevalent in individuals with trochlear dysplasia.
• The incidence of thicker, shelf-shaped plica (Type 2 and 3) increases with the progression of trochlear dysplasia severity.