Distal femoral valgus cut angles unreliable in total knee arthroplasty.

We hypothesized that valgus distal femoral cut angle made using a conventional cutting guide would be reproducible in a Sawbone model, regardless of training level. 3°, 5°, or 7° valgus cuts were made on lower extremity Sawbone specimens and were measured with radiographic imaging. 66 patient radiographs were also analyzed to compare pre and post-operative femoral cut angles, and VR12 measurements from each patient were collected. All femoral cuts deviated significantly from target cuts. Also, pre-TKA valgus angles showed no correlation with the angles post-TKA, and final cut angle did not correlate with functional outcomes at 1 year post-surgery.