Abstract
Surgical correction of multiapical deformities of the lower limb requires careful
preoperative planning. Surgeons must account for the potential creation of secondary
deformity, such as knee joint line obliquity, and the risks associated with accepting
these changes in limb alignment. In this study, we evaluate the effect of knee joint
obliquity on tibial plateau contact pressures and knee instability. Three cadaveric
knees were dissected and put through biomechanical testing to simulate loading of
an oblique knee joint. We observed < 1 mm femoral displacement (proxy measure of instability)
between 15 degrees of varus tilt and 10 degrees of valgus tilt, and greater increases
in tibial plateau contact pressures with valgus tilt than with varus tilt. Our results
suggest that, if the creation of a secondary coronal plane deformity at the knee joint
cannot be avoided, up to 15 degrees of varus or 10 degrees of valgus alignment can
be tolerated by an otherwise structurally normal knee.
Keywords
deformity correction - osteotomies - knee joint obliquity - secondary deformity -
secondary
