Tibiofemoral Contact Area-Determination and Implications

We have presented a roentgenographic method of determining the area of contact of the femur on the medial and lateral tibial plateaus. The area of contact on both tibial plateaus decreases throughout the first 35 degrees of flexion. The average area of contact on the medial plateau was 1.6 times greater than the area on the lateral plateau. This relationship remained constant through the first 35 degrees of flexion. The ratio of the medial and lateral contact areas is applicable to the study of clinical problems.