How it works
How a TrueKnee is planned.
Most knees are not straight. A TrueKnee surgeon starts from yours: the shape of your bones, the angle of your joint and the way your knee moves. Here is what that means, part by part, and what the research shows so far.
Everything on this page is illustrative teaching anatomy, not a scan of you or a prediction. Your TrueKnee surgeon reviews your own 3D plan with you.
Your KneePrint and your joint line.
Every knee has its own alignment and joint line.
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Neutral knee alignment and Neutral joint angle.
Illustrative anatomy. Based on CPAK ↗ · Native knee variation ↗
02
Your unique femur shape.
Your thighbone ends in two rounded surfaces. Their size, shape, and curves are unique to you.
Your femur also contributes to the angle of your joint.
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These rounded surfaces vary from person to person.
About these shapes
The two rounded surfaces at the end of your thighbone are not identical. The inner and outer sides can differ in size, shape, height, and curvature. These features also vary from person to person.
These differences are a normal part of knee anatomy. They help shape your natural joint angle and how the surfaces fit together as your knee moves.
These simplified educational illustrations show variations of one model with intact cartilage. They are not scans or measurements of individual patients. The gold line shows a thighbone surface reference, not the complete knee angle or a surgical target.
Illustrative variation · intact cartilage in every example
03
Your unique tibia shape.
The top of your shinbone (tibia) also has its own unique shape. Its surface and natural angle vary from person to person.
Outer · lateralInner · medial
BackFront
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Illustrative angles, not patient measurements or surgical targets.
04
Your Natural Motion
A balance to check through active motion.
Your knee bends, glides and rotates. The outside moves farther backward than the inside as your knee bends. The inside of your knee stays more stable throughout motion.
Preparing the knee…
Illustrative 0–120° motion based on the phased pattern described by Iwaki et al. (2000). Individual knees and activities vary. Explore the evidence ↗
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Approaches to TrueKnee Resurfacing
Different routes can lead to the same reconstruction. The route alone doesn’t tell you how the implants will be positioned.
Beneath the inner quadriceps muscle, preserving the muscle and tendon
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Front view · surgical approach
01 / EXPOSURE
How we reach your knee.
The approach is the route your surgeon takes through or around the tissues.
Different routes.
The same restoration goal.
Illustrative anatomical reference, not patient-specific planning or a prediction of motion. Resections are simplified; anatomy, exposure and ligament balance require surgical assessment.
What do the studies show?
Early recovery. Subvastus and midvastus approaches may offer modest benefits in the first few weeks, such as less pain, earlier muscle control, or more knee movement. Individual recovery varies. [1, 2, 3]
Later recovery. Early differences tend to fade. Studies have not consistently shown better longer-term function, movement, complication rates, or need for further surgery. [1, 3, 4]
The trade-off. Some approaches can make the joint harder to see, especially in larger or stiffer knees or after previous surgery. The approach should never compromise accurate implant placement. [1, 5]
The best approach allows your surgeon to safely and accurately reconstruct your knee.
Explore the knee approaches reference library · 802 articles →Evidence from total knee replacement studies.
Published research
Evidence
Trials comparing your knee’s own angles with a straight target report equal or better function and pain relief in the first years, with no more complications. The difference is small and narrows over time.
- Two-year randomized trial · Dossett HG, et al ↗
- One patient, both techniques · McEwen PJ, et al ↗
- Meta-analysis of 14 trials · Liu B, et al ↗
- Medium- and long-term meta-analysis · Wang G, et al ↗
- Sixteen-year follow-up · Howell SM, et al ↗
- Meta-analysis of 12 trials · Nucci N, et al ↗
These studies cover kinematic alignment in general, not the TrueKnee technique itself, which has no published outcomes yet. Results vary, and every knee replacement carries risks. The footage is illustrative, not a patient.
Read what this means for you ↗TrueKnee’s own numbers
What we can show so far.
The studies above are other people’s results. These are ours, counted live from the TrueKnee record with nothing about any one person. Small numbers are shown as what they are.
Fit Score
1
1 Fit Score completed since October 4, 2026. 0 were told a TrueKnee is not supported yet (0%). The score turns people away when the answers say so.
Readiness Score
0
No patient has reached the Readiness Score yet. It is counted once a patient prepares for surgery with a TrueKnee surgeon.
Recovery outcomes
0
No recovery outcomes yet. KOOS JR is collected at 90 days and one year from every TrueKnee patient who consents, and published here once five patients have reached a window.
Descriptive, unadjusted, consenting participants only. Not every case, and not evidence that one technique is better than another. How the scores work ↗ · Read October 8, 2026
Your next step
Start with your own knee.
Your KneePrint shows which way your knee leans. A TrueKnee surgeon can tell you whether a TrueKnee fits it.
IS A TRUEKNEE FOR ME?
Start with your Fit Score.
Your symptoms, your daily life and your goals, in a few minutes. Free, and it needs no account.