Analysis of Sex and Race and the Size and Shape of the Distal Femur Using Virtual Surgery and Archived Computed Tomography Images

Anthropometric data and stature profiling are needed for the accurate sizing of prosthetic systems in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to collect and analyze anthropometric knee data using a virtual surgical method. Computed tomography images (107) from patients (66) of three races were converted to virtual models and oriented with an anatomical coordinate system. The models were used to obtain anterior–posterior, medial–lateral, and condylar spacing measurements. Mean values for all measurements were larger for males than females in the overall population and within each race, and differences between races were observed. Comparisons of males to females from different races showed overlapping mean measurements for males of one race and females of another. These overlaps indicate that certain measurements relevant to TKA system sizing are not strictly related to sex. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 19(4):200–208, 2010)