Native Knee Laxities at 0{degrees}, 45{degrees}, and 90{degrees} of Flexion and Their Relationship to the Goal of the Gap-Balancing Alignment Method of Total Knee Arthroplasty

Conclusions:
Because five of the seven laxities were at least 1.7° or 1.6 mm greater at both 45° and 90° of flexion than those at 0° of flexion, the laxities of the native knee measured in this study are unequal at these flexion angles and therefore do not support the goal of gap-balancing in total knee arthroplasty.

Clinical Relevance:
One possible disadvantage of changing the native laxities at 45° and 90° of flexion to match those at 0° of flexion in a total knee arthroplasty is the overly tight soft-tissue restraints relative to those of the native knee, which patients may perceive as pain, stiffness, and/or limited flexion.

Source: The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - October 21, 2015 Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Roth, J. D., Howell, S. M., Hull, M. L. Tags: Knee Scientific Articles Source Type: research