Table 2.
Distributions of limb alignment by age, sex, and ethnicity
| Limb alignment measure | Ethnicity | Sex | Age (years) | Alignment Mean±SD | Source Note/conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Femur-tibia angle (FTA) (degrees, mean ± SD) |
Not specified |
men |
21-40 (n=30) |
2.3 ± 2.3 varus |
[5] No age or sex differences Mean FTA 1.2o ± 2.2o (varus) |
| 41-60 (n=30) |
1.0 ± 2.3 varus |
||||
| women |
21-40 (n=30) |
1.3 ± 1.8 varus |
|||
| 41-60 (n=30) |
0.3 ± 2.3 varus |
||||
| FTA (degrees, mean ± SD) |
Chinese |
men |
mean age: 24 range: 22–31 (n=25) |
2.2 ± 2.7 varus |
[15] No sex differences |
| women |
mean age: 23 range: 21–29 (n=25) |
2.2 ± 2.5 varus |
|||
| FTA (degrees, mean ± SD) |
Japanese and Australian Caucasian |
men |
18-29 (n=21) |
180.3 ± 3.0 varus |
[16] In combined group, women had more valgus alignment p = 0.017) Japanese (men and women) more varus than Australian Caucasians; No age effects |
| 30-59 (n=36) |
179.8 ± 2.5 valgus |
||||
| >60 (n=23) |
180.0 ± 2.1 neutral |
||||
| women |
18-29 (n=35) |
179.5 ± 3.2, valgus |
|||
| 30-59 (n=36) |
178.6 ± 2.5 valgus |
||||
| >60 (n=23) |
180.0 ± 2.1 neutral |
||||
| Hip-knee-Ankle (HKA) (degrees, mean ± SD) |
Not specified/Canadian |
men |
<30 (n=38) >45 (n=14) |
−1.5 ± 3.0 varus |
[13] Women more likely than men in all age groups to have valgus alignment (p = 0.03) No age effects |
| women |
<30 (n=41) >45 (n=26) |
−0.5 ± 2.6 varus |
|||
| HKA | Japanese and Caucasian | men |
Caucasian 28 ± 6.8 (n=23) |
36% of men had valgus alignment |
[14] Japanese higher varus vs. Caucasians; Women more valgus than men |
| Japanese 30 ± 6.3 (n=11) | |||||
| women | Caucasian 26 ± 7.7 (n=24) |
50% women had valgus alignment | |||
| Japanese 37 ± 6.2 (n=12) |