No abstract

Factors predisposing to patellar chondropathy (the PC group) and inferior patellar apicitis (jumper's knee - the PA group) were sought by means of a questionnaire, detailed quantitative physical measurements and radiological examination in male athletes. There were 20 athletes in the two groups who had typical symptoms and signs of each disorder. A group of 20 high-level athletes without knee symptoms served as a control group. The factors found in the PC group which differed significantly from those in the control group included increased anterior drawer sign (p less than 0.05), increased passive mediolateral patellar range of movement (p less than 0.001) and increased hyperextension (p less than 0.05). More leg length inequality (p less than 0.001) and patella alta (p less than 0.05) was observed in the PA group than in the controls. There was statistically significant positive correlation between the different measurements of knee laxity (anterior drawer sign, passive mediolateral patellar movement and hyperextension) in the 60 cases. The correlation coefficient between the length of the patellar tendon and passive mediolateral patellar movement was 0.82 (p less than 0.001).

No abstract

No abstract

The results of 196 clinical determinations of leg length inequality and postural pelvic tilt scoliosis in 21 patients were analysed and compared with reliable radiological measurements. Clinical methods proved to be inaccurate and highly imprecise, the observer error being +/- 8.6 mm for direct and +/- 7.5 mm for indirect measurement of leg length inequality, and +/- 6.4 degrees for the estimation of postural lumbar scoliosis. More than half (53%) of the observations were erroneous when the criterion of leg length inequality was 5 mm. Failure to determine the presence or absence of length inequality of more than 5 mm occurred in 54 measurements (27% of the total). In 12% of the direct and in 13% of the indirect measurements, the observers erred in deciding which leg was longer; discrepancies occurred even when radiological reading gave a leg length inequality of as much as 25 mm.

The length of the lower limb prosthes is was compared with the length of the contralateral lower extremity in 113 Finnish war-disabled amputees by a radiological weight bearing method developed by the author. Considering a shortening of 10 mm for above-knee prostheses and of 5 mm for below-knee prostheses as tolerance limits, the length of the prosthesis was acceptable only in 17 cases (15% of the total group). In 79 cases (70%) the prosthesis was up to 47 mm too short and in 17 cases (15%) up to 40 mm too long. Chronic pain symptoms of low back, hip and knee correlated significantly with the lateral asymmetry caused by incorrect length of the prosthesis. Independently of the side of amputation, the unilateral sciatica and chronic hip pain occurred mainly on the long leg side. Physical activity of the lower limb amputees seemed to correlate with the suitability of the length of the prosthesis, and was unrelated to the length of the amputation stump.

No abstract

No abstract