• Günther Maderbacher, Armin Keshmiri, Bernd Krieg, Felix Greimel, Joachim Grifka, and Clemens Baier.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. Guenther.Maderbacher@klinik.uni-regensburg.de.
• Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2019 May 1; 27 (5): 1427-1433.

PurposeKinematically aligned total knee arthroplasty is associated with superior pain relief, increased flexion and a more normal feeling knee. It was hypothesized that due to restoring the knee's natural anatomy, kinematically aligned knees show more physiological tibiofemoral kinematics than mechanically aligned knees.MethodsInvestigations were performed in nine healthy cadaveric knees of whole bodies fixed by the Thiel method. Tibiofemoral kinematics of healthy knees and after kinematically and mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasty were assessed between 0° and 90° of flexion by a navigational device.ResultsRegarding tibial internal rotation or femoral roll back, respectively, kinematically aligned total knee arthroplasties showed no significant differences between 0° and 70° of flexion in comparison to knees before total knee arthroplasty. In contrast, mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasties showed significant changes between 10° and 90° of flexion. Kinematically aligned knees showed a significant changed abduction/adduction between 20° and 70° of flexion, mechanically aligned knees within 20° and 90° of flexion.ConclusionIn the present study setting kinematically aligned total knee arthroplasties showed more natural and physiological tibiofemoral kinematic pattern with regard to tibial internal rotation or femoral rollback, respectively, and tibial adduction than mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasties. While these results may support promising early clinical results of kinematical alignment proposing a better function, long-term results especially implant survival need to be awaited.

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