Relationship between patellofemoral finite helical axis and femoral trans-epicondylar axis using a static magnetic resonance-based methodology.

This study quantitatively reported the continuous location and direction of the patellar FHA during knee flexion. The patellar FHA was close to but not coincident with the femoral TEA both in location and orientation, and the patellar rotational radius decreased slightly with knee flexion. These findings could provide a clear direction for further studies on the difference in patellofemoral FHA among various types of patellofemoral disorders, and provide a foundation for the application of FHA in surgical evaluation, preoperative planning and prosthesis design, thereby assisting in the diagnosis and treatment of patellofemoral disorders.