ABSTRACT
The value of preoperative templating for primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has
recently been questioned. In our clinical practice, preoperative templating is valuable
for sizing components and achieving optimal coronal alignment. We preoperatively templated
the size of femoral and tibial components, the distal femoral valgus cut, and the
proximal tibial cut for 200 primary TKAs. Preoperative templating predicted the exact
size of 165 (82.5%) femoral and 159 (79.5%) tibial components, with 194 (97%) femoral
and 185 (92.5%) tibial components templated to within one size used. Postoperative
tibiofemoral alignment was within ±3° of the goal alignment in 189 (94.5%) knees.
Postoperative femoral and tibial component coronal alignment was within ± 3° of the
goal coronal alignment in 190 (95%) and 199 (99.5%) knees, respectively. The accuracy
of component sizing in this study is greater than previously reported. The prevalence
of alignment outliers in this study is less than previously reported for conventional
techniques.