Trochlear Inclination Angles in Normal and Dysplastic Knees

Trochlear morphology impacts component position in patellofemoral arthroplasty. We devised a measurement of the trochlear inclination angle (TIA) and determined the average TIA in normal and dysplastic knees. Three hundred twenty-nine consecutive magnetic resonance imagings of normal and dysplastic knees were evaluated. The TIA was measured by 2 reviewers. The Student t test was used, and intraobserver reliability measurements were made. The mean TIA in normal and dysplastic knees was internally rotated 11.4° (range, 6°-20°) and 9.4° (range, 4°-15°), respectively. The mean TIA did not differ significantly by sex or age. Trochlear inclination angles in both normal and dysplastic knees tend toward internal rotation. Positioning a trochlear patellofemoral arthroplasty component flush with the articular surface of the native trochlea would result in internal rotation malposition.