Which criterion confirms a true lateral view of the knee?

Which criterion confirms a true lateral view of the knee?

• A. Knee is flexed 90
• B. Femoral condyles superimposed
• C. Malleoli on same transverse plane
• D. Intercondylar fossa is superimposed

Answer: (B)

In a true lateral knee view, the important aim is a side-on image where the knee is not rotated. The telltale sign is that the femoral condyles are superimposed, meaning the posterior surfaces line up evenly in the projection. This superimposition confirms there’s no rotation and that the lateral perspective is accurate, which is essential for properly evaluating the knee’s structures. If the knee were flexed at 90 degrees, you wouldn’t get that true lateral orientation—the relationship between the bones would be distorted. The condition of the malleoli being on the same transverse plane relates to the ankle, not the knee, so it doesn’t indicate a true knee lateral. Intercondylar fossa superimposition is not the primary, reliable cue for a true lateral knee image, whereas clear femoral condyle superimposition is.

In a true lateral knee view, the important aim is a side-on image where the knee is not rotated. The telltale sign is that the femoral condyles are superimposed, meaning the posterior surfaces line up evenly in the projection. This superimposition confirms there’s no rotation and that the lateral perspective is accurate, which is essential for properly evaluating the knee’s structures.

If the knee were flexed at 90 degrees, you wouldn’t get that true lateral orientation—the relationship between the bones would be distorted. The condition of the malleoli being on the same transverse plane relates to the ankle, not the knee, so it doesn’t indicate a true knee lateral. Intercondylar fossa superimposition is not the primary, reliable cue for a true lateral knee image, whereas clear femoral condyle superimposition is.