Patellar Maltracking Is Prevalent Among Patellofemoral Pain Subjects with Patella Alta: An Upright, Weightbearing MRI Study

Saikat Pal¹, Thor Besier², Michael Fredericson¹, Gary Beaupre³, Scott Delp¹, Garry Gold¹

Patellofemoral (PFP) pain is common. Although there are several potential causes, patella alta (greater than normal patella height relative to the tibia or femur) is considered a pre-disposing factor in patellar maltracking and pain. However, evidence supporting a relationship between patella alta and maltracking is limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between patella height and patellar tracking in pain-free control and PFP subjects using novel upright, weightbearing MRI. We observed significantly greater patella height in maltracking PFP subjects. This study overcomes a critical barrier in understanding the mechanisms for PFP by providing new evidence relating patellar maltracking to patella height.