# Anthropometry of Proximal Tibia in Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement at a Tertiary Care Hospital

## TL;DR

This study examines the shape of the proximal tibia in Pakistani patients to highlight the need for customized knee implants due to ethnic anatomical differences.

## Contribution

The study provides new anthropometric data for the proximal tibia in a Pakistani population, emphasizing the need for tailored implants.

## Key findings

- Significant differences were found in anteroposterior and mediolateral dimensions between genders.
- Body mass index and occupation showed significant associations with tibial dimensions.
- The anatomical profile of the proximal tibia in the Pakistani population is distinct from other ethnic groups.

## Abstract

Introduction

Total knee arthroplasty is the standard of care treatment for advanced knee osteoarthritis. However, patients frequently continue to have pain and disability after surgery, with one of the most common reasons being a bone-implant mismatch. Notably, there is a significant difference reported in proximal tibia morphometry between Asian and Caucasian populations, and the currently available implants do not account for the anthropometric variations observed across ethnicities. We aimed to evaluate the proximal tibia anthropometry in a Pakistani population.

Materials and methods

A study was conducted at The Indus Hospital, Karachi Campus, from August 2019 to July 2020. All consecutive patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria and undergoing knee replacement surgery were included in the study. Baseline characteristics and anthropometry of proximal tibia were recorded on a pre-designed proforma. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 24.

Results

A total of 30 patients were enrolled in this study, which included 17 females (56.7%) and 13 males (43.3%). The mean age was 61.6± 7.9 years and the BMI was 33±5.7 kg/m2. There was a significant difference found in the anteroposterior and mediolateral dimensions in both genders. A significant association was noted with body mass index (p-value 0.01) and occupation (p-value=0.02).

Conclusion

The results indicated that the anatomical profile of the proximal tibia in the Pakistani population is distinct, thus stressing the fact that it requires developing prostheses specifically tailored to this population's sizing requirements.