Normal lower limb alignment and joint orientation

To understand deformities of the lower extremity, it is important to first understand and establish the parame-ters and limits of normal alignment. The exact anatomy of the femur, tibia, hip, knee, and ankle is of great impor-tance to the clinician when examining the lower limb and to the surgeon when operating on the bones and joints. To better understand alignment and joint orientation, the complex three-dimensional shapes of bones and joints can be simplified to basic line drawings, similar to the stick figures a child uses to represent a person (►Fig.1-1).