My doctor says my Q angle is increased and that is contributing to my recurrent patellar instability. What is he talking about?
A. The Q angle describes an angle from the hip to the patella and from the patella to the tibial tubercle. The greater the angle formed the greater the pull to the outside of the knee. If a patient has recurrent instability of their patella and an abnormally increased Q angle the surgical treatment is directed towards reducing the Q angle by performing a distal realignment, whereas if the Q angle is normal the surgical treatment is directed towards tightening the stretched tissues about the patella and releasing the tight or contracted tissues (lateral release).
