Femoral posterior condylar angle of human knee joint:magnetic resonance imaging measurement / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:The good rotational alignment of femoral prosthesis was very important in total knee arthroplasty. The research has shown that the posterior condylar angle was important to determine the alignment. The posterior condylar angle is the angle between the posterior condylar axis and the femoral epicondylar axis. MRI can clearly show the condylar cartilage, the projections of lateral epicondyle and the medial epicondyle depression, thus ensuring accuracy of measurement data. OBJECTIVE:To measure the posterior condylar angle of knee joint in the northern part of Baoding City in China, and to provide image evidence for identifying the rotational alignment of femoral prosthesis during total knee arthroplasty. METHODS:The knee was extended on a neutral position when MRI machine was applied to scan knee joint. The scanning plane was perpendicular to the mechanical axis of the knee. The best T1 axial plane of the knee was chosen, and two observers analyzed images independently. Existence rate of femoral medial epicondyle was observed using Bravo viewer 6.0 imaging software. The posterior condylar angle between posterior condylar axis and the femoral condyle axis was measured. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The posterior condylar angle was (2.73±1.28)° in males and (2.35±1.37)° in females on average, which did not show significant difference. The results showed that the MRI had great superiority in measuring the posterior condylar angle. The variability of the epicondylar axis was smal in total knee arthroplasty. Posterior condylar angle can be referenced to position femoral prosthesis and to avoid the complications after knee replacement.