Principles of deformity correction around the knee

Lower limb frontal and sagittal plane alignment and joint orientation have significant consequences for function and wear on the hip, knee and ankle. There is a normal range for the orientation of these joints relative to the mechanical and anatomic axis of the femur and/or tibia. We can use the normal joint orientation to accurately plan realignment of a deformed femur or tibia. In the frontal plane we use both anatomic and mechanical axis lines for planning. In the sagittal plane, the mechanical axis has less relevance and, therefore, only the anatomic axis is used for planning.