What are the bias, imprecision, and limits of agreement for finding the flexion-extension plane of the knee with five tibial reference lines?

BACKGROUND: Internal-external (I-E) malrotation of the tibial component is associated with poor function after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Kinematically aligned (KA) TKA uses a functionally defined flexion-extension (F-E) tibial reference line, which is parallel to the F-E plane of the extended knee, to set I-E rotation of the tibial component.

METHODS: Sixty-two, three-dimensional bone models of normal knees were analyzed. We computed the bias (mean), imprecision (±standard deviation), and limits of agreement (mean±2 standard deviations) of the angle between five anatomically defined tibial reference lines used in mechanically aligned (MA) TKA and the F-E tibial reference line (+external).

RESULTS: The following are the bias, imprecision, and limits of agreement of the angle between the F-E tibial reference line and 1) the tibial reference lines connecting the medial border (-2°±6°, -14° to 10°), medial 1/3 (6°±6°, -6° to 18°), and the most anterior point of the tibial tubercle (9°±4°, -1° to 17°) with the center of the posterior cruciate ligament, and 2) the tibial reference lines perpendicular to the posterior condylar axis of the tibia (-3°±4°, -11° to 5°), and a line connecting the centers of the tibial condyles (1°±4°, -7° to 9°).

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Based on these in vitro findings, it might be prudent to reconsider setting the I-E rotation of the tibial component to tibial reference lines that have bias, imprecision, and limits of agreement that fall outside the -7° to 10° range associated with high function after KA TKA.