INTRAMEDULLARY GONIOMETER CAN IMPROVE ALIGNMENT IN KNEE ARTHROPLASTY SURGERY

Fifty total knee arthroplasties were performed using an intraoperative intramedullary goniometer to measure the angle of the distal femoral cut. When deviations of 1 degrees or more were found, angled cutting b locks ranging from 1 degrees to 5 degrees were used to recut the dista l femur. Revised femoral cuts were made in 25 knees (50%). Postoperati ve evaluation from weight-bearing long-standing anteroposterior radiog raphs revealed an average distal femoral angle deviation from preopera tive planning of 0.64 degrees (range, 0 degrees-3 degrees). This was s tatistically significantly different from the value for a comparison g roup of 50 knees on which arthroplasties were performed without the in traoperative goniometer with an average femoral angle deviation of 1.4 4 degrees (range, 0 degrees-4 degrees) (P < .05). In the control group , there were 7 knees (14%) that deviated by 30 or more versus only 2 k nees in the study group. The authors conclude that an intramedullary g oniometer is fast, is simple to use, and leads to more accurate prepar ation of the distal femur in total knee arthroplasty.