The full leg x-ray is a widely used imaging modality for post-operative assessment of total knee replacement (TKR). However, these assessments require controlled conditions and precise measuring in order to be accurate. inter-observer reliability remains a matter of concern as well. This study examines whether intersurgeon differences are significant. Post-operative lateral and full-leg frontal x-rays of 26 patients were assessed by 6 surgeons according to a strict measuring protocol. Four measurements (Figure 1 and 2) were taken of which two were on the femur (Femoral Varus Angle FVA and Femoral Flexion Angle FFA) and two, on the tibia (Tibial Varus Angle TVA; Tibial Slope Angle TSA). A random effects, two-way ANOVA was performed on the data using Minitab (v 16.0, Minitab Inc., Pennsylvania, USA) to determine whether a surgeon has influence on the results (α = 0.05). Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard error of measurements (SEM) resulting in smallest detectable changes (SDC) were also calculated [1].Background
Method
