A quantitative method of assessing malalignment and joint space loss of the human knee

Malalignment and joint space loss in the arthritic human knee can be measured quantitatively by employing a frame that allows for parallax correction of radiographs taken from the weight bearing lower limb. This standardized method will assist pre-operative planning for osteotomies and post-operative follow-up of patients with surgical re-aligned lower limbs. The procedure requires anatomically important points to be digitized, together with reference points built into the frame. Data are then processed automatically in a desk top computer, and the program provides for an easily understood diagram and listing of characteristic indices of malalignment.