OBJECTIVETo explore clinical significance of rotational axis of distal femur on Chinese adults in total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODSThere were 86 Chinese adults (106 normal knees) including 47 males (53 knees) and 39 females (53 knees), 54 knees were on left and 52 on right. The CT scan was employed in the distal femur. The scan direction was aligned to be on the plane perpendicular to the mechanical axis of the femoral. The CT images of cross sections across lateral and medial femoral epicondyle were moved to personal computer,lateral angle between anterior posterior line (APL) and surgical transepicondylar axis (STEA) (ATA),lateral angle between posterior condylar line (PCL) and APL (APA), angle between perpendicularity of APL and PCL (A-PA), posterior condylar angle (PCA), condylar twist angle (CTA), angle between clinical transepicondylar axis (CTEA) and STEA (CSA) were measured. These values were divided into different groups according to gender and side, the values of CTA, PCA, A-PA, angle PT (varus of tibia plateau), constant 3, ATA, APA and constant 90° were compared by statistically. A-PA and PCA, and CTA were analysed statistically with the liner regression, the relationship among CTEA, STEA ,PCL, APL and PLP were performed to assess by liner regression.

RESULTSATA was (89.79 ± 1.22)°, APA was (84.84 ± 1.83)°, A-PA was (5.16 ± 1.83)°, PCA was (4.80 ± 1.23)°, CTA was (8.23 ± 1.40), CSA was (3.45 ± 0.68)°. All the parameters had no differences on sex and side,but CSA had difference on male and female. There was no difference among angle PT, PCA, A-PA. There was significant difference in CAT, constant 30 and angle PT, PCA,A-PA. There was no difference between ATA and constant 90°, but there was difference between APA and constant 90°. There was relativity between PCA and CTA, and also PCA and A-PA, CTA and A-PA. There was significant relativity between STEA and CTEA, between STEA and APL, between STEA and PCL, and also between APLP, APL and PCL, but there was no significant relativity between PCL and CTEA.

CONCLUSIONTKA for Chinese, the section of femoral posterior condyle should be external 5° to obtain the optimum rotational orientation. The property is different entirely between STEA and CTEA, the rotational alignment is not performed according to parallel to the CTEA in distal femur. Among STEA, APL, PCL, the STEA is the most reliable mark ofrotational alignment of the distal femur, and the PCL is the less reliable mark.