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. 2011 Sep;14(5):465-71.

Bilateral Variability of the Quadriceps Angle (Q angle) in an Adult Indian Population

Raveendranath Raveendranath  1 , Shankar Nachiket, Narayanan Sujatha, Ranganath Priya, Devi Rema
Affiliations

Bilateral Variability of the Quadriceps Angle (Q angle) in an Adult Indian Population

Raveendranath Raveendranath et al. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to document and explain bilateral differences in the Q angle.

Materials and methods: Two hundred limbs of healthy adult Indian volunteers were studied. The Q angle was measured using a goniometric method with the subjects supine, quadriceps relaxed and lower limbs in neutral rotation. The relative lateral placement of the tibial tuberosity with respect to the centre of the patella was measured. Appropriate statistical tests were used to determine the bilateral variability in the Q angle and the lateral placement of the tibial tuberosity. Inter-observer variation of the above mentioned parameters were studied in twenty limbs.

Results: The average Q angle value of all the 200 limbs was 12.73 °C; the mean value on the right was 12.86 °C and 12.60 °C on the left. When the Q angle and the lateral placement of the tibial tuberosity were considered in pairs a significant difference was noted in males. The Q angle value on the right side was more often greater than the left. The relative lateral placement of the tibial tuberosity showed a significant positive correlation with the Q angle. The intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.66 for the Q angle and 0.8 for the lateral placement of the tibial tuberosity.

Conclusion: The present study shows that bilateral variability in the Q angle could be attributed to an alteration of the relative placement of the tibial tuberosity with respect to the centre of the patella.

Keywords: Bilateral variability; Q angle; Tibial tuberosity.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Measurement of the Q angle. ASIS – anterior superior iliac spine; CP-centre of patella; TT-tibial tuberosity; Q- quadriceps angle.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Determination of the relative lateral placement of the tibial tuberosity with respect to the centre of patella. CP -centre of patella; TT-tibial tuberosity; A-point of intersection of vertical line drawn from CP and horizontal line drawn from TT; d-lateral placement of TT
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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