Are TomoFix Locking Plates Really Anatomical for Indian Population?

Abstract

The use of a TomoFix plate can be a challenge in Asian population who inherently have smaller tibial bones. This study aims to find out the normal proximal tibial morphometric measurements in Indian population and to compare the Medial Anterior Radius of Curvature (MAROC) of proximal tibia with the Proximal Part Radius of Curvature (PPROC) of the available TomoFix plates, to estimate conformity of the fit between them. Retrospective Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) based proximal tibial measurements were performed on 824 knees, 664 females and 160 males (604 patients). The mean MAROC, mean MAROC in males and mean MAROC in females were compared to the PPROC of TomoFix plates. The radiological measurements revealed a mean AP length of 45.22 ± 3.79mm, mean ML width of 69.04 ± 5.01mm and mean MAROC of 21.88 ± 2.11mm. The mean MAROC in males was 24.07 ± 2.1mm, whereas in females it was 21.35 ± 1.75mm. The mean MAROC, mean MAROC in males and mean MAROC in females when compared to the PPROC of Standard TomoFix plate (38mm), Small TomoFix and Anatomical TomoFix plates (30mm) showed a significant difference (p < 0.01), indicating that the radius of curvature of the plate does not match the radius of curvature of the anteromedial tibial plateau. The TomoFix plates, including Small (Asian Version) and Anatomical plates, are relatively large for the Indian population. Our study may help the implant to designers develop a plate that will better suit the Indian population, improving results and reducing hardware-related complications of MOWHTO.