[Radiological study of painless knees in 50 men over 65 years of age. I. Teleradiography in the frontal position with the patient standing (author's transl)].

Teleradiographic examinations of the lower limb, from the frontal position with the patient standing, were conducted in 50 men over 65 years of age who had never had painful knees. One knee (out of 100) was found to have an internal femoro-tibial arthrosis. The femoro-tibial angle in the arthrosis-free knees was -0.27" (+/- 2.83 degrees) on the right and -1.10" (+/- 3.05 degrees) on the left. The mean femoro-tibial angle was -0.68" (standard deviation 2.9 degrees), and normal values are therefore -5.5 degrees to +5.1 degrees. There was no evidence, therefore, of statistically significant physiological genu valgum in the population studied. Marginal osteophytes and tibial spines are frequently observed and have no pathological significance. A meniscochondrocalcinosis was present in 8 percent of the subjects.