Intrarater reliability of measuring the patella position by ultrasonography in weight-bearing condition

Abstract

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the intrarater reliability of using ultrasonography as a measurement tool to assess the patella position in a weight-bearing condition. [Subjects and Methods] Ten healthy adults participated in this study. Ultrasonography was used to assess the patella position during step down with the loading knee in flexion (0° and 20°). The distance between the patella and lateral condyle was measured to represent the patella position on the condylar groove. Two measurements were obtained on the first day and the day after 1 week by the same investigator. [Results] Excellent intrarater reliability, ranging from 0.83 to 0.93, was shown in both conditions. Standard errors of the measurements were 0.5 mm in the straight knee and 0.7 mm in the knee flexion at 20°. Minimal differences in knee flexion at 0° and knee flexion at 20° were 1.5 mm and 1.9 mm, respectively. [Conclusion] Ultrasonography is a reliable assessment tool for evaluating the positional changes of the patella in weight-bearing activities, and it can be easily used by practitioners in the clinical setting.