Comparision of the knee joint alignment in sportsmen and controls

The alignment of the knee joint described as the angle formed by the femoral shaft and the tibial shaft at the knee. It is of significance due to its association with different disease conditions affecting the knee. Muscle strength affects alignment of the knee, therefore we measured the knee alignment of Peradeniya University rugby team and compared with a control.

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All 27 individuals in the university rugby pool, all of them being male, were included in the study. Their weight and height were measured in kilograms and meters using standard measuring scales and the BMI was calculated using the Quetelets index. Anterior plane knee alignment was measured using a handheld metal goniometer. The other group consisted of 25 male student volunteers that do not engage in sporting activities.

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The rugby players had a mean knee alignment angle of 181.96° (± 3.4) and the control sample had a mean of 183.67° (±3.75). The difference observed in the means was statistically significant (p=0.45) with the rugby players' having more varus oriented knee joints.

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The rugby players in our study showed a more varus oriented knee joint alignment than the controls. The varus orientation seen in these ruby players at this early age could be a cause for development of knee joint OA in the future due to the excessive strain placed on the medial compartment of the knee joint