Gender-based differences exist in the functional knee phenotypes classification of the osteoarthritic knee

Purpose: To identify gender differences in (1) the coronal alignment of functional knee phenotypes and (2) the JLCA (joint line convergence angle) in relation to the phenotype classification. Methods: This study is a retrospective data analysis, including 12,099 osteoarthritic knee computed tomography (5025 male, 7074 female) analysed by Medacta software for hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), femoral mechanical angle (FMA), tibial mechanical angle (TMA) and JLCA. The data were grouped into genders and combined according to the Functional Knee Phenotypes Classification. Results: Out of 127 phenotypes for males and 131 for females, 17 common phenotypes were reported. The commonest four were similar for both genders with VARHKA177 degrees NEUFMA93; NEUTMA87 degrees (9.8% males, 9.50% females), followed by VARHKA174 degrees NEUFMA93 degrees VARTMA84 degrees (7.1%) and VARHKA174 degrees VARFMA90 degrees NEUTMA87 degrees (7.0%) for males and VARHKA174 degrees NEUFMA93 degrees NEUTMA87; (6.1%), VARHKA174 degrees NEUFMA93 degrees VARTMA84 degrees (5.1%) for females. The commonest FMA and TMA (91.5 degrees to 94.5 degrees and 85.5; to 88.5 degrees , respectively) were the same for both genders, however, the rest of the male population observed greater femoral varus than the female population (p < 0.001). JLCA values ranged from -28.4 degrees to 8.2 degrees in the overall study population. Males and females had a mean JLCA of -2.96 degrees (+/- 2.6 degrees SD) and -2.66 degrees (+/- 2.8 degrees 7 SD), respectively, p < 0.001. ConclusionsGender differences exist within the osteoarthritic knee phenotype. The male varus phenotype is influenced by FMA, while TMA values are similar across genders. JLCA variations show similarities to both TMA and FMA, suggesting JLCA is influenced by bone morphology more than by gender. These differences inform surgical decision-making for the personalised approach to the primary TKA. Level of EvidenceLevel III.