Tibial torsion, twisting of the tibia about its longitudinal
axis, varies during development and early
childhood. Knowledge of the normal range of tibial torsion at
various ages and its accurate clinical
measurement is important in the assessment of the extent of a
torsional deformity. To evaluate tibial torsion
a reliable technique for its measurement in vivo is therefore
required. The aim of this study was to
determine which of 4 existing in vivo methods of measuring tibial
torsion was the most accurate and had the
highest repeatability, by comparing them with direct measurement
of the tibia. A wide range of mean values
for tibial torsion was observed, using the various techniques,
with none of the indirect techniques employed
having a strong correlation with direct measurement of tibial
torsion. The repeatability of the indirect
techniques was observed to be low both in cadavers (n=4) and
the living (n=3). Since none of the in vivo
techniques appear to measure true tibial torsion or be of a
reasonable repeatability, alternative easy to use
and inexpensive methods need to be developed. Accurate clinical
measurement of tibial torsion is important
in the assessment of the extent of a torsional deformity. It is
recommended that data gained using the
methods reviewed here are interpreted with caution.