Tibial torsion in patients with medial-type osteoarthritic knee.

Computed tomography measurements of tibial torsion were evaluated in 85 patients with medial-type osteoarthritic knees and in 24 normal adults. Although there were no differences in the degrees of femoral torsion or knee joint rotation, external tibial torsion was observed to have a mean value of 11.3 degrees, significantly smaller than the 23.5 degrees observed in the normal adults (p less than 0.01). The more advanced the osteoarthritic stage, the greater was the reduction in external tibial torsion. Reduction of external torsion of the tibia was most severe at the proximal tibial metaphysis.