Do knee alignment patterns differ between Middle Eastern and East Asian populations? A propensity-matched analysis...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Radiology
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Population-based variations in knee alignment may influence osteoarthritis (OA) progression.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for effective OA management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare lower extremity alignment in knee OA between Middle Eastern (UAE) and East Asian (South Korean) populations.
• To utilize artificial intelligence (AI) for precise alignment analysis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of knee OA patients from South Korea and UAE.
• Propensity score matching for age and sex, followed by AI-assisted measurement of alignment parameters (HKA, MPTA, LDFA, JLCA) and CPAK classification.
• Subanalyses conducted by sex and age groups.

Main Results:

• Post-matching, UAE patients had a significantly higher body mass index.
• Coronal Plane Alignment of the Knee (CPAK) type 1 was more prevalent in UAE males, while type 2 was more common in South Korean males.
• Both populations showed a predominance of CPAK type 2 in females, with UAE patients exhibiting a trend towards more varus alignment with increasing age (lower MPTA).

Conclusions:

• Significant population-specific differences in knee alignment exist between Middle Eastern and East Asian individuals with knee OA.
• These findings emphasize the necessity of considering ethnic and regional variations in the management of knee OA.