Morphological characteristics of the lateral femoral condyle: A CT-based anatomical study
Main Article Content
Abstract
A descriptive cross-sectional study of 112 femurs from CT angiography scans at Cho Ray Hospital (January 2021-December 2023) was conducted to establish lateral femoral condyle (LFC) reference data in a Vietnamese middle-aged and elderly population. Mean LFC length was 59.52 ± 3.04 mm; mean width was 39.32 ± 3.18 mm. The supracondylar curve angle (SCA) was 166.67 ± 5.57°. The minimum safe screw trajectory angle was 70.74 ± 5.73°, significantly greater in males than females. Mean posterior condylar offset (PCO) was 22.74 ± 2.15 mm; the PCO ratio (PCOR) was 44.67 ± 3.77%. Strong positive correlations were identified between posterolateral condyle length and total LFC length (r = 0.62, p < 0.001), and between anteroposterior condylar length and PCO (r = 0.54 - 0.62, p < 0.001). Significant sex differences were observed across most parameters; no side-to-side asymmetry was found. Vietnamese adults demonstrate a supracondylar bow substantially exceeding current plate designs and marked sex-based morphological variation. These findings provide an anatomical reference for locking plate design and surgical planning in distal femoral fracture fixation and total knee arthroplasty.
Article Details
Keywords
Lateral femoral condyle, distal femoral fracture, posterior condylar offset
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