Abstract
A valgus arthritic knee, compared to a varus knee, offers its own challenges during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A valgus knee is less commonly encountered in arthritic knees undergoing TKA and involves a distinctly different set of pathoanatomic structural changes when compared to a varus knee. The incidence of valgus arthritic knees in patients undergoing TKA is less than 10 % in the senior surgeon’s series [1, 2]. Restoration of optimal limb alignment and gap balance after TKA in valgus knees can be a formidable challenge because of several reasons. First, a surgeon may be less familiar with the surgical technique and soft-tissue releases involved and there is a paucity of soft-tissue structures available for release on the lateral side compared to the medial side. Second, there is a higher risk of common peroneal nerve palsy due to its proximity to lateral soft-tissue structures and stretching that may occur in correcting long-standing valgus deformity especially if associated with flexion deformity.
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Mullaji, A.B., Shetty, G.M. (2014). Valgus Deformity. In: Deformity Correction in Total Knee Arthroplasty. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0566-9_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0566-9_4
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