The Q-Angle and its Effect on Active Knee Joint Kinematics – a Simulation Study

Abstract

Improvements in design and implant alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains a crucial factor in the function and lifetime of the implant. Therefore a comprehensive understanding of functional knee structures and their effects on biomechanics is essential. We hypothesized that the Q-angle has a substantial impact on active joint kinematics and should be taken into account in TKA. The results show that knee kinematics are strongly affected by the Q-angle. When active kinematics may differ significantly to passive kinematics, intraoperative ligament balancing may result in a suboptimal ligament situation during active motion. Therefore the individual situation should be considered in patient specific TKA.