OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency of rotational wire guides used to perform total knee arthroplasty. To evaluate the possible correlation between the preoperative anatomic axis and the capacity of the wire guide to properly position the component. METHODS: 64 arthroplasties were evaluated by comparing the position suggested by the wire guide to the position shown by the Whiteside line. Discrepant cases were registered and compared to the preoperative anatomic axis. RESULT: No discrepancies were found between the rotational alignment measured by the two methods in aligned knees and knees with varus alignment. Discrepancies were found between the rotational alignment suggested by the wire guide and the alignment shown by the Whiteside line in seven of the 64 knees (10.93%). In all patients that showed discrepancy, the preoperative alignment was valgus. CONCLUSION: Rotational wire guides of the femoral component in total knee arthroplasty do coincide with the position achieved by the Whiteside line in knees whose anatomic axis is varus and in aligned knees. In valgus knees, the reference of the wire guides did not coincide with the position suggested by the said line.
Arthroplasty, replacement, knee; Knee prosthesis; Rotation; Evaluation studies
