A MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF PATELLA IN LUCKNOW REGION

Background: Patella is the largest sesamoid bone which develops in the tendon of Quadriceps femoris muscle and protects the front of knee joint. It has gained anatomical, clinical & forensic significance due to its vital role in patellofemoral mechanics and its property of resistance to post mortem changes. Aims and Objectives: Our study aims to measure the various dimensions of left and right human patella which can be useful for the manufacture of patellar prosthesis, better suited to Indian population, in contrast to already available prosthesis which are mostly based on the western anthropometric measurements. Methods: The study involves 100 dry human patellae, 50 each from left and right sides. Total patellar height, maximum height of articular surface, maximum width, maximum thickness, shape, width of medial and lateral articular facets of patella were measured using digital Vernier calipers. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for each parameter for left and right sides and the data was analyzed using SPSS. Results: The mean of patellar width on left side came out to be 41.65± 2.78, while for right side, the mean of patellar width was observed to be 42.83± 3.02. A statistically significant difference was observed in patellar width of left and right sides (p= 0.044). Conclusion: Anthropometric study of patella in India can thus be helpful in designing femoropatellar prosthesis for our population leading to better post-operative outcome.