BACKGROUNDA good postoperative alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the key to achieving satisfactory results. We assessed the effect of femoral and tibial resection on the overall alignment after conventional TKA.

METHODSWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 212 primary TKAs in 188 patients. Intramedullary (IM)-guided resection was applied on the femoral side while extramedullary (EM)-guided resection was used on the tibial side. Using full-length X-ray, the preoperative femoral valgus angle and lower extremity alignment, as well as 2-week postoperative femoral and tibial prosthetic coronal alignment and overall lower extremity alignment, were measured.

RESULTSPostoperatively, good prosthetic alignment was achieved in 191 cases (90.1%) on the tibial side and in 144 cases (67.9%) on the femoral side (χ2 = 5.441, P = 0.02). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the effect of different alignment sides on the overall alignment in the coronal plane. Data were divided into five subgroups based on the valgus or varus status of the prostheses. The standardized regression coefficients of the femoral and tibial prosthetic alignment on the overall alignment were 0.666 and 0.414, respectively; in varus on both sides were 0.658 and 0.377, respectively; in valgus, 0.555 and 0.030; femoral side varus and tibial side valgus, 0.702 and 0.211; femoral side valgus and tibial side varus, -0.416 and 0.287. The study showed that the overall low extremity alignment was statistically influenced by the prosthetic alignment, except for the tibial prosthetic alignment when femoral prosthesis was in valgus (P = 0.153).

CONCLUSIONSIn conventional TKA, tibial side EM-guided resection may offer satisfactory postoperative alignment, and femoral resection relying on IM guide may lead to more undesirable results. Postoperative coronal alignment is mainly affected by the femoral resection. Therefore, femoral side operation should receive adequate attention from the surgeons.