title: A clinical comparison of patellar tracking using the transepicondylar axis and the posterior condylar axis.
abstract: Two different methods for femoral component rotation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were compared with regard to the need for lateral retinacular release and 3-year follow-up knee society scores of both patellofemoral function and 3-year radiographs of the patella. The posterior condylar axis was used in 1322 consecutive primary TKAs, and the transepicondylar axis (TEA) was used in 1059 consecutive primary TKA. A significant decrease in lateral retinacular release was observed from 56.9% (752 knees) using the posterior condylar axis down to 12.3% (130 knees) using the TEA. No significant differences in knee society scores were observed between the 2 groups with regard to stair climbing, pain, patella radiographs, or range of motion. Routine use of the TEA is recommended for determining femoral component rotation in TKA.
authors.affiliation: Center for Hip and Knee Surgery, St Francis Hospital--Mooresville, Mooresville, Indiana 46158, USA.
authors.forename: D Gordon
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Newbern
authors.forename: Philip M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Faris
authors.forename: Merrill A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: E Michael
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Meding
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Berend
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D010329:Patella / Q000502:physiology*; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular