Abstract
The object of this study was 336 Korean patients with degenerative arthritic knees and 1000 Koreans with normal knees who had visited the department of orthopaedic surgery of Hanyang University hospital during the period fmm January, 1980 to June, 1981. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of tibio-femoral angles and metaphysealdia physeal angles in response to the degenerative changes of the knees. By the roentgenogram, tibio-femoral angles and metaphyseal-diaphyseal angles were measured and those angles were analized statistically. The results were as follows 1. In young age group, the incidence of the degenerative arthritic knees was more frequent in male than in female. However, in the middle and older age groups, the incidence was higher in female than in male. 2. The mean value of tibio-femoral angle of the degenerative arthritic knees was −3.41°±0.22. It was about 1° varus compared with the normal mean value of −4.46°±0.27. The mean value of tibio-fem- oral angle in normal Korean was reduced appmximately 3°±5°valgus compared with the Westem normal peoples: 3. In general, the valgus tendency appeared a little more in the knees of female than in those of male. 4. The varus tendency was in pmportion to the degree of the aggrevation of the degenerative arthritis in the knees. 5. The mean value of metaphyseal-diaphyseal angle in normal Korean was 3.53°±0.24. It was 3°–4° varus compared with the Western normal peoples. 6.The varus was increased more in the standing position, in the state of weight bearing position, than in the supine position.