Evaluation of the relationship between the bone alignment of the lower extremity and the importance of Q angle in male athletes.

Introduction: Evaluating the mechanical-anatomical alignment and angles of the knee joint is crucial for athletes. We aimed to analyse the relationship between lower extremity bone alignment and the importance of the Q angle (QA) in male athletes.

Methods: We included 38 male professional football athletes without any alignment or varus-valgus deformity who actively played football in various football clubs in Istanbul. This study was conducted using quantitative research methods within the scope of a cohort study design and employed a correlational survey method. A health specialist at the orthopaedic outpatient clinic of the Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, evaluated the participants' lower extremity bone alignment using standing anteroposterior radiographs and assessed the QA using the goniometric measurement method. The anatomical lateral distal femoral angle (aLDFA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) and QA data were analysed to assess lower extremity straightness.

Results: Significant relationships between the right and left leg aLDFA, MPTA and QA values of the participants' lower extremity mechanical axis values and between the aLDFA and right leg QA values (r = 0.380, p = 0.019) were found. These relationships were attributed to the difference between proximal and distal alignments of the lower extremities. The correlation between QA and certain mechanical alignment parameters was due to unilateral and bilateral symmetrical arrangements of the lower extremities.

Conclusions: The parameters of lower extremity mechanical-anatomical alignment are considered preliminary indicators of relationships among sports injuries, structural factors and predisposition to such injuries. Individual differences in the angular values of mechanical-anatomical alignment and the application of different methods for determining these angles have revealed some uncertainties. We determined the mechanical axis data of football athletes who predominantly used their lower extremities using the most reliable methods and examined the relationship among the right and left leg aLDFA, MPTA and QA values. We believe that our findings provide insights and guidance for experts in the field.