Patient-Directed Valgus Stress Radiograph of the Knee: A New and Novel Technique.

The radiographic investigation of patients with medial-compartment osteoarthritis of the knee is a critical element in the decision-making process of determining whether the patient is a candidate for unicompartmental or total knee arthroplasty. A valgus stress radiograph of the affected knee is an essential part of this radiographic investigation. Historically, this has been performed with manual stress applied by the surgeon or the radiologic technologist; thus, this examination requires 2 individuals to complete. In addition to being inefficient, 1 individual is exposed to radiation, which can be undesirable over many exposures and in a long career. For these reasons, we instituted a quality improvement project to develop a method of obtaining the valgus stress view with 1 technologist that would obviate these concerns. Of 78 examinations performed, 5 studies did not show complete correction of the varus deformity. Of these, 3 showed complete correction on a manual valgus stress radiograph, and 2 did not. Three patients displayed collapse of the lateral compartment, indicating a nonfunctional lateral compartment. The remaining 70 patients had identical radiographic results with both the manual and patient-directed valgus stress.