Which statement correctly describes the tibial mechanical axis?

Which statement correctly describes the tibial mechanical axis?

• A. Extends from the center of the distal tibia to the center of the proximal tibia
• B. Extends from the center of the proximal tibia to the center of the distal tibia
• C. Extends from the proximal tibial tubercle to the distal tibial head
• D. Extends from the center of the proximal tibia to the center of the distal tibia

Answer: (B)

The tibial mechanical axis is the straight line that runs through the centers of the knee and the ankle along the tibial shaft. This means it goes from the center of the proximal tibia (the tibial plateau at the knee) to the center of the distal tibia (the ankle joint surface, or tibial plafond). That description matches describing the axis as extending from the center of the proximal tibia to the center of the distal tibia. The other options either swap the endpoints, refer to landmarks not used to define the axis (like the tibial tubercle), or describe an endpoint that isn’t where the ankle joint’s center lies, so they don’t describe the tibial axis as it’s understood in alignment assessment.

The tibial mechanical axis is the straight line that runs through the centers of the knee and the ankle along the tibial shaft. This means it goes from the center of the proximal tibia (the tibial plateau at the knee) to the center of the distal tibia (the ankle joint surface, or tibial plafond). That description matches describing the axis as extending from the center of the proximal tibia to the center of the distal tibia. The other options either swap the endpoints, refer to landmarks not used to define the axis (like the tibial tubercle), or describe an endpoint that isn’t where the ankle joint’s center lies, so they don’t describe the tibial axis as it’s understood in alignment assessment.