Coronal Knee Alignment and Tibial Rotation in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study of Patients with End-Stage Osteoarthritis.

Abstract

Several studies have found a relationship between the rotational anatomy of the distal femur and the overall coronal lower limb alignment in knees with osteoarthritis (OA). Less is known about the rotation of the proximal tibia, especially in the context of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), where one of the goals of the surgery is to achieve the appropriate component-to-component rotation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the coronal alignment of the lower extremity and the relative proximal tibial rotation. A prospective cohort study of patients with an end-stage OA scheduled for TKA was conducted. All patients underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan and a standing X-ray of both lower limbs. A relative femorotibial rotation was measured separately for mechanical and kinematic alignment. A statistically significant correlation was found between the tibial varus and the external tibial rotation (p < 0.001). Out of 14 knees with high tibial varus (>5°), 13 (93%) and 7 (50%) knees had >10° of femorotibial rotation for the mechanical and kinematic alignment landmarks, respectively. In order to keep the component-to-component rotation within the 10° margin, more internal rotation of the tibial component is required in knees with higher tibial varus.