Value of preoperative templating for primary total knee arthroplasty

The value of preoperative templating for primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has recently been questioned. In our clinical practice, preoperative templating is valuable for sizing components and achieving optimal coronal alignment. We preoperatively templated the size of femoral and tibial components, the distal femoral valgus cut, and the proximal tibial cut for 200 primary TKAs. Preoperative templating predicted the exact size of 165 (82.5%) femoral and 159 (79.5%) tibial components, with 194 (97%) femoral and 185 (92.5%) tibial components templated to within one size used. Postoperative tibiofemoral alignment was within +/- 3 degrees of the goal alignment in 189 (94.5%) knees. Postoperative femoral and tibial component coronal alignment was within +/- 3 degrees of the goal coronal alignment in 190 (95%) and 199 (99.5%) knees, respectively. The accuracy of component sizing in this study is greater than previously reported. The prevalence of alignment outliers in this study is less than previously reported for conventional techniques.