Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2021, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (24): 3908-3913.doi: 10.12307/2021.101

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Etiology and treatment of femoral trochlear dysplasia: congenital genetic determination or stress stimulation of patella

Zhou Yuanbo, Wang Jindong   

  1. Department of Orthopedics, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China
  • Received:2020-11-06 Revised:2020-11-11 Accepted:2020-11-26 Online:2021-08-28 Published:2021-03-18
  • Contact: Wang Jindong, MD, Associate chief physician, Associate professor, Department of Orthopedics, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China
  • About author:Zhou Yuanbo, Master candidate, Department of Orthopedics, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral instability is the common problem in orthopedics, and the etiology can be multifactorial, such as trochlear dysplasia, patella alta, increased torsion of femur and tibia, elevated tibial tuberosity-trochlea groove distance, and the injury of media patellofemoral ligament. Among them, trochlear dysplasia is regarded as the most important risk factor.
OBJECTIVE: To review the etiology, image evaluation, clinical problem of trochlear dysplasia and trochleoplasty.
METHODS: The “trochlear dysplasia, trochleoplasty” were used as Chinese and English search terms. The first author searched English database such as PubMed and Chinese databases such as CNKI and Wanfang, and the retrieval deadline was July 2020. Repetitive and irrelevant articles were excluded, and final 56 articles were included for review. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) There are two main theories about the etiology of trochlear dysplasia; that is, congenital genetic determination and the stress stimulation of patella. A series of studies from animal experiment to human studies have shown that the stress stimulation is essential to trochlear development. (2) Imagine evaluation of trochlear dysplasia includes the pure lateral radiographs of knee joint and axial CT/MRI which can achieve quantitative evaluation. The classification of trochlear dysplasia has evolved from the classical Dejour classification to the more reliable OBC classification. (3) A series of studies from biomechanics to clinic have supported that trochlear dysplasia is the most important risk factor for patellofemoral instability, and trochlear dysplasia is also associated with cartilage wear and anterior cruciate injury. (4) Trochleoplasty is the most direct way to change the abnormal shape of trochlea. Under the premise of grasping the indications and contraindications, trochleoplasty can achieve satisfactory clinical results.

Key words: trochlear dysplasia, etiology, X-ray, CT, MRI, patellofemoral instability, trochleoplasty, review

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