Measurement of TT‐TG can change with sequential MRIs due to variations in tibiofemoral rotation in patellofemoral instability patients

Purpose There are various anatomic risk factors for patellofemoral instability (PFI) that help guide surgical treatment, including the tibial tubercle to trochlear groove (TT‐TG) distance. However, no study has analysed the temporal changes in TT‐TG prior to surgical intervention. This study sought to understand the variations in TT‐TG over time for pediatric patients suffering from PFI prior to surgical intervention. The authors hypothesised that the TT‐TG would substantially change between time points. Methods Patients undergoing medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction between 2014 and 2019 by one of two fellowship‐trained orthopaedic surgeons were identified. Patients were included if they had two preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed on the same knee within 7.5 months of each other prior to any surgical intervention and had an initial TT‐TG greater than 10 mm. Results After considering 251 patients for inclusion, 21 patients met the final inclusion criteria. The mean age was 14.5 ± 2.5 years and 61.9% were female. TT‐TG was initially noted to be 15.1 ± 1.8 mm. At mean time after sequential MRIs of 5.0 ± 1.9 months, TT‐TG was noted to be 16.7 ± 3.2 mm. The differences between initial and subsequent TT‐TG ranged from a 21.2% decrease to a 61.1% increase, with a mean difference of an 11.3% increase. Comparison between initial and subsequent TT‐TG values demonstrated a significant difference (p = 0.017). Change in tibiofemoral rotation ranged from −9.2° to 7.5°. When comparing the change in TT‐TG to change in tibiofemoral rotation, a significant correlation was found (p = 0.019). Conclusion Despite only a mean time between MRIs of 5 months, variations in TT‐TG ranged from a decrease of 21.2% to an increase of 61.1%. The significant relationship between the changes in TT‐TG and changes in tibiofemoral rotation between MRIs suggest that TT‐TG measurements may vary due to variations in tibiofemoral rotation at the time of individual MRIs. Level of Evidence: Level IV.