Gender-related differences in concomitant articular injuries after acute lateral patellar dislocation

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Acute lateral patellar dislocation (LPD) is a common knee injury.
• Concomitant articular injuries can affect treatment outcomes and long-term prognosis.
• Understanding gender-specific injury patterns is crucial for targeted management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the incidence of specific articular injuries in males and females following acute LPD.
• To identify potential gender-based differences in injury patterns among adolescents and adults.

Main Methods:

• Prospective analysis of magnetic resonance images (MRIs) in 166 patients with acute LPD.
• Evaluation of concomitant injuries: bone contusion, medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) injury, articular cartilage lesion, and vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) lesion.
• Statistical comparison of injury incidence between genders in adolescent and adult subgroups.

Main Results:

• Adolescent males exhibited higher rates of complete MPFL tears (50% vs. 29.8%) and patellar cartilage lesions (40% vs. 21.1%) compared to adolescent females.
• Adult males showed increased incidence of complete MPFL tears (65.6% vs. 37.8%), patellar cartilage lesions (56.3% vs. 32.4%), and VMO injuries (59.4% vs. 35.1%) compared to adult females.
• No significant gender differences were found for other evaluated injuries in either age group.

Conclusions:

• Males are at a higher risk for complete MPFL tears and patellar articular cartilage lesions after acute LPD.
• Adult males demonstrate a greater predisposition to VMO injuries compared to adult females.
• These findings highlight gender-specific injury patterns in acute LPD, informing clinical assessment and treatment strategies.