Data regarding the posterior slope of the tibia (PTS) are limited and sometimes conflicting. The purpose of this study was to determine the native posterior tibial slope in patients undergoing a medial or lateral UKA. A retrospective review was performed on 2395 CT scans in patients indicated for UKA, and the PTS of the osteoarthritic compartment was measured relative to a plane set perpendicular to the sagittal, tibial mechanical axis. The mean preoperative PTS in patients undergoing medial UKA was 6.8°+3.3°, with 34.3% between 4° and 7°. The mean preoperative PTS in patients undergoing lateral UKA was 8.0°+3.3°, with 27.5% between 4° and 7°. If attempting to recreate a patient's preoperative tibial slope, a routine target of 5° to 7° will produce a posterior slope less than the patient's native anatomy in 47% of patients undergoing UKA. This is the first, large CT-based review of posterior slope variation of the proximal tibia in patients undergoing UKA.
Keywords: arthroplasty; knee; posterior slope; unicondylar.
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