Kinematic evaluation of the knee after total joint arthroplasty plays an important role to analyze and understand the post operative outcome of the surgical procedure. The objective of the study was to quantify in vivo kinematics of two different knee designs (dual radius, single radius) by combining video fluoroscopy and helical axis of motion analysis.

3D position of the finite helical axis (FHA) of the displacement of the tibial component of the prosthesis relative the femoral component during a knee extension from 55° to 20° flexion underweight bearing conditions was computed. The motion data were extracted from in vivo fluoroscopy measurement. Angular deviations as angles between each FHA and the mediolateral axis of the femoral component of the prosthesis, and the localization deviation as the distance between each FHA and the center of the femoral component of the prosthesis were calculated. The median and the interquartile range (IQR) of the angular deviation and the localization deviation were computed. Non-parametric Wilcoxon test compared the values of the two designs.

The angular and localization deviations of the dual radius design were bigger than of the single radius design. Median localization deviation, IQR Angle deviation, IQR localization deviation showed highly significant differences between the two designs (p< 0.01).

Compared to the dual radius design the single radius design modified the knee kinematics in vivo. Since it is asingle axis design FHA is therefore concentrated near this unique single axis. On the contrary the dual radius design has two axes, and the FHA floated between these two axes.