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. 1998 May;22(2):92–96. doi: 10.1007/s002640050216

Patellofemoral contact forces and pressures during intramedullary tibial nailing

A T Devitt 1, K A Coughlan 2, T Ward 3, D McCormack 1, D Mulcahy 1, P Felle 2, J P McElwain 1
PMCID: PMC3619703  PMID: 9651773

Summary.

Patellofemoral joint forces and pressures were measured in a cadaver model during intramedullary nailing of the tibia. A significant increase in contact pressures was found at the lateral facet of the patellofemoral articulation using the medial paratendinous approach (P = 0.01) and at the medial facet when using the trans-patellar tendon approach (P = 0.001) to the proximal tibia. Increased contact pressures at the patellofemoral joint may result in chondral injury, which in turn may cause anterior knee pain, a common complication of tibial nailing.

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Footnotes

Accepted: 5 August 1997


Articles from International Orthopaedics are provided here courtesy of Springer-Verlag

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