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Total Knee Replacement (TKR) – Landmarks & Measurements Guidelines

This document defines the anatomical landmarks and measurements used during preoperative planning and postoperative surgical planning for total knee replacement.

Updated over a month ago

Knee – Total Knee Replacement (TKR) - (Mechanical/Anatomical)


All landmarks and measurements are derived from patient imaging and are intended to support planning, verification, and communication, not automated clinical decision-making.


Preoperative Landmarks – Femur

Femoral Anatomical Axis

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    A line passing through the center of the femoral shaft, extending from distal to proximal, representing the femoral anatomical reference axis.


Femoral Mechanical Axis

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    A line defined from the center of the femoral head to the center of the distal femoral notch, representing the load-bearing axis of the femur.


Knee Joint Line

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    A line connecting the distal medial and lateral femoral condyles, representing the native knee joint line.


Transepicondylar Axis (TEA)

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    A line connecting the medial and lateral femoral epicondyles, commonly used as a reference for femoral rotational alignment.


Posterior Lateral Condyle

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The most posterior point of the lateral femoral condyle, used to define the posterior condylar axis.


Posterior Medial Condyle

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The most posterior point of the medial femoral condyle, used to define the posterior condylar axis.


Preoperative Measurements – Femur

Femoral Mechanical–Anatomical Angle (FMAA)

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The angle between the femoral anatomical axis and the femoral mechanical axis.


Varus / Valgus (Femur)

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The angle between the femoral mechanical axis and the knee joint line, measured in the coronal plane.


Femoral Rotation

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The angular difference between the posterior condylar axis (PCA) and the transepicondylar axis (TEA).


TEA to AP Axis

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The angle between the transepicondylar axis (TEA) and the anteroposterior (AP) axis, defined from the femoral notch center to the trochlear center.


PCA to AP Axis

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The angle between the posterior condylar axis (PCA) and the anteroposterior (AP) axis.


Postoperative / Surgical Plan Measurements – Femur

Planned Varus / Valgus

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The angle between the femoral mechanical axis and the distal femoral cutting plane, measured in the coronal plane.


Planned Flexion / Extension

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The angle between the femoral mechanical axis and the distal femoral cutting plane, measured in the sagittal plane.


Planned Femoral Rotation

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The angular difference between the posterior cutting plane and the selected rotational reference axis (PCA or TEA).


Femoral Distal Resection

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The distance from the distal femoral cutting plane to the native knee joint line reference points.


Femoral Posterior Resection

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Femur

  • Description:
    The distance from the posterior femoral cutting plane to the posterior condylar axis (PCA) reference points.


Preoperative Landmarks – Tibia

Tibial Anatomical Axis

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    A line passing through the center of the tibial shaft, extending from distal to proximal, representing the tibial anatomical reference axis.


Lateral Tibial Plateau Center

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    The geometric center of the lateral tibial plateau surface.


Medial Tibial Plateau Center

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    The geometric center of the medial tibial plateau surface.


Tibial Plateau Plane

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Landmark

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    A plane defined by the medial and lateral tibial plateau surfaces, representing the native tibial articular surface.


Preoperative Measurements – Tibia

Varus / Valgus (Tibia)

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    The angle between the tibial mechanical axis and the tibial plateau plane, measured in the coronal plane.


Tibial Slope

  • Stage: Pre

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    The angle between the tibial mechanical axis and the tibial plateau plane, measured in the sagittal plane.


Postoperative / Surgical Plan Measurements – Tibia

Planned Varus / Valgus

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    The angle between the tibial mechanical axis and the proximal tibial cutting plane, measured in the coronal plane.


Planned Tibial Slope

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    The angle between the tibial mechanical axis and the proximal tibial cutting plane, measured in the sagittal plane.


Tibial Proximal Resection

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    The distance from the medial and lateral tibial plateau centers to the proximal tibial cutting plane.


Tibial Rotation

  • Stage: Post

  • Type: Measurement

  • Bone: Tibia

  • Description:
    The angular alignment between the planned tibial insert orientation and the tibial anteroposterior (AP) axis.


Notes & Best Practices

  • All landmarks and measurements must be reviewed and approved by the clinician before final plan approval.

  • Osteophytes should be excluded when defining native articular surfaces and axes.

  • Measurements are provided for planning and verification purposes only and must be clinically validated by the surgeon.

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