Anatomic differences in patellar dimensions: A comparative study of left and right sides

Abstract

The patella is an important bone in the knee joint, and its morphology can vary between different populations. The present study aimed to perform a morphometric analysis of dry human patellae from the Kashmiri population to determine their anatomical features and to compare them with Indian and global studies.The study included 40 dry human patellae (20 right and 20 left) from the Kashmiri population. Various parameters such as patella height, patella width, patella thickness, ridge length, medial and lateral articular facet length and width were measured using a digital Vernier caliper. The mean values of these parameters, along with their standard deviations, minimum and maximum values were calculated. The t-value and p-value were also calculated to determine the significance of any differences observed between the two sides.The results showed no significant differences between the right and left patellae for most of the parameters analyzed, including patella height, patella width, patella thickness, ridge length, medial and lateral articular facet length. However, there was a significant difference in the medial articular facet width (p=0.136) and lateral articular facet width (p=0.318) between the two sides. The mean values for all parameters were within the range of values reported in previous studies of patellar morphology in different populations.The present study provides important information about the morphometric features of patellae in the Kashmiri population. The findings suggest that there are no significant differences in the morphological features of the patellae between the right and left sides, except for the medial and lateral articular facet widths.