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Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 85-B, Issue 7, 980-982.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.85B7.13930  
Copyright © 2003 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
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Radiographic measurement of joint space height in non-osteoarthritic tibiofemoral joints

A COMPARISON OF WEIGHT-BEARING EXTENSION AND 30° FLEXION VIEWS

K. Deep, FRCS, Specialist Registrar

Guy’s Hospital, St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RT, UK.

M. Norris, MRCS, Registrar; and C. Smart, FRCS, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Queen Mary’s Hospital, Frognal Avenue, Sidcup, Kent DA14 6LT, UK.

C. Senior, MRCS, Registrar

Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1BB, UK.

Correspondence should be sent to Mr K. Deep at 82 Windmill Road, Gillingham, Kent ME7 5NX, UK.

There have been many reports which suggest that in patients with tibiofemoral osteoarthritis, a reduction in joint space is demonstrated better on weight-bearing radiographs taken with the knee in semiflexion than in full extension. The reduction has been attributed to the loss of articular cartilage in the contact area in a semiflexed arthritic knee. None of these studies have, however, included normal knees. We have therefore undertaken a prospective, double-blind, randomised study in order to evaluate the difference in the joint-space of arthroscopically-proven normal tibiofemoral joints as seen on weight-bearing full-extension and 30° flexion posteroanterior radiographs. Twenty-two knees were evaluated and the results showed that there may be a difference of up to 2 mm in the two views. This difference could be attributed to the inherent differential thickness of the articular cartilage in different areas of the femoral and tibial condyles and a change in the areas of contact between them.






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Hip, Knee, Trauma, Upper limb, Foot & Ankle, Paediatrics, Oncology, Spine, Arthroplasty, General