Systematic review of patella cubiti: Does it really exist?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Radiology
• Anatomy

Background:

• Accessory bones near the elbow, such as the patella cubiti, are rare and poorly understood.
• These ossicles are frequently misdiagnosed as traumatic or pathological conditions, including congenital pseudarthrosis and non-unions.
• Accurate differentiation is crucial for appropriate clinical management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze documented cases of patella cubiti.
• To establish clear diagnostic criteria for differentiating patella cubiti from other elbow pathologies.
• To improve diagnostic accuracy for rare accessory elbow bones.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was performed, focusing on reported cases of patella cubiti.
• Radiographic images from included studies were analyzed.
• Cases were classified into defined categories: patella cubiti, os sesamoideum tricipitale, congenital pseudarthrosis, or trauma.

Main Results:

• 31 studies comprising 38 cases were analyzed.
• Based on proposed definitions, cases were classified as patella cubiti (3), os sesamoideum tricipitale (3), or congenital pseudarthrosis (2).
• Traumatic etiology was identified in 11 cases, with 19 cases lacking sufficient quality for conclusive analysis.

Conclusions:

• The term 'patella cubiti' has been historically used broadly, causing diagnostic ambiguity.
• Congenital accessory bone presentations of patella cubiti are rare, with insufficient data for definitive conclusions.
• Employing specific radiographic criteria and MRI is recommended to accurately diagnose and differentiate accessory elbow bones like patella cubiti from os sesamoideum tricipitale.