The Journal of Arthroplasty
Volume 26, Issue 2 , Pages 274-281, February 2011

Are Current Total Knee Arthroplasty Implants Designed to Restore Normal Trochlear Groove Anatomy?

  • Kartik M. Varadarajan, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Bioengineering Laboratory, Orthopedic Surgery, MGH/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
    • Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint request: Guoan Li, PhD, Bioengineering Laboratory, MGH/Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St., GRJ 1215, Boston, MA 02114.
    • ,
  • Harry E. Rubash, MD

      Affiliations

    • Bioengineering Laboratory, Orthopedic Surgery, MGH/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Guoan Li, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Bioengineering Laboratory, Orthopedic Surgery, MGH/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Received 16 October 2009; accepted 8 December 2009. published online 22 February 2010.

Abstract 

Biomechanical studies have shown that external rotation of the femoral TKA component improves patellar tracking but does not restore it to physiologic values. We hypothesized that this could be due to differences in the trochlear groove geometry of TKA and normal knees. This was investigated via a virtual TKA procedure that mounted femoral components on to 3-dimensional models of healthy femurs, followed by measurement of the trochlear geometry before and after the simulated TKA. The results showed that (1) external rotation of the component brought the trochlear groove closer to normal anatomy than no external rotation; (2) however, even with external rotation, the trochlear anatomy was only partially restored to normal. Further work is needed to determine implications for patellofemoral complications observed with current TKA designs.

Keywords: patellar tracking, trochlear groove geometry, total knee arthroplasty, virtual TKA, knee biomechanics

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 No benefits or funds were received in support of the study.

PII: S0883-5403(09)00578-6

doi:10.1016/j.arth.2009.12.009

The Journal of Arthroplasty
Volume 26, Issue 2 , Pages 274-281, February 2011

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