[Anterior displacement of the tibial tuberosity. An experimental biomechanical study of its effects on the femoro-patellar joint].

The anterior displacement of the tibial condyle was proposed as early as 1963 by P. Maquet as a therapeutic solution to treat femoropatellar arthritis. However, the benefits of such a procedure remain controversial. In this work, the effects of a 1. cm anterior displacement of the tibial condyle, with and without section of the patellar wings, have been studied on the knees of fresh corpses without osteoarthritis. The knees were tested in flexion from 10 to 70 degrees. The study dealt with the contact surfaces, pressures, and femoropatellar forces, which were analyzed with an original and efficient measurement system, with the Fuji Prescale Film as a sensor. This study showed that the femoropatellar contact has not been significantly modified by the displacement of the tibial condyle. We have noted only a slight decrease in the pressure after this type of surgery. These results are in contradiction with Marquet's results. In all cases, the anterior displacement of the tibial condyle with resection of both patellar wings produced the best results. These results suggest that displacing the tibial condyle anteriorly does not have the expected effects. The indication of such a surgical procedure must therefore be established only cautiously and after ruling out other therapeutic methods.