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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
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Tissue Collection and RNA Extraction from the Human Osteoarthritic Knee Joint
Published on: July 22, 2021
Side differences in the anatomy of human knee joints
Jens Dargel1, Janna Feiser, Martina Gotter
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann Strasse 9, Cologne 50733, Germany. dargel@dshs-koeln.de
Summary
Human knee joints show high morphometric symmetry between sides. This supports using the contralateral knee for reference in unilateral knee pathology evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics and Anatomy
- Biomechanical Engineering
Background:
- Unilateral knee pathologies often involve side-to-side comparisons, but the degree of knee symmetry is not well-established.
- Understanding knee morphometric symmetry is crucial for accurate clinical assessments and treatment planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that morphometric knee joint dimensions are symmetrical between the right and left sides within individuals.
- To determine if within-subject side differences are smaller than intersubject variability in knee joint dimensions.
Main Methods:
- Morphometric measurements of the femorotibial joint, cruciate ligaments, and menisci were performed on 20 pairs of human cadaver knees.
- Statistical analysis focused on overall side differences and the ratio of within-subject side differences to intersubject variability.
Main Results:
- Significant side differences were found in only three out of 71 morphometric dimensions, including posterior tibial slope, distal femur valgus alignment, and ACL femoral insertion.
- Within-subject differences exceeded intersubject variability for the cross-sectional areas of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL and PCL).
- A general positive correlation was observed for most morphometric dimensions between the right and left knees of individuals.
Conclusions:
- A high degree of correlation exists in the morphometric dimensions of the human knee joint between the right and left sides.
- These findings support the use of contralateral, uninjured knee data for reference in evaluating unilateral knee pathologies.
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