A prosthetic femoral component (10) for an orthopaedic prosthesis has a canted patellar groove adapted for optimal patella/component interaction, with the component configured to have a medial or lateral cant depending upon the method of implantation. The femoral component defines a distal "component transverse plane," which is a plane tangent to the distal-most points of the component condyles (12,14). In a "mechanical" implantation, the component transverse plane is substantially normal to the mechanical femoral axis of the femur after the component has been implanted. Where the femoral component is configured to be "mechanically oriented" in this manner, the component has a medially canted patellar groove. On the other hand, an "anatomic" implantation is one in which, after the component has been implanted, the component transverse plane is substantially parallel to an "anatomic" transverse plane. The anatomic transverse plane is perpendicular to the anatomic axis of the femur from a sagittal view, and is inclusive of a line connecting the distal-most points of the natural femoral condyles before resection. Where the femoral component is configured to be "anatomically oriented" in this way, the component has a non-canted or slightly laterally canted patellar groove.Linvention concerne un élément prothétique fémoral (10) pour une prothèse orthopédique, lequel élément présente une rainure rotulienne inclinée conçue pour assurer une interaction optimale entre la rotule et lélément prothétique, lélément prothétique étant conçu pour présenter une inclinaison médiale qui dépend du procédé dimplantation. Lélément prothétique fémoral définit un plan transversal délément qui est un plan tangent aux points les plus éloignés des condyles (12, 14). Dans le cas dune implantation "mécanique", le plan transversal de lélément est essentiellement normal par rapport à laxe fémoral mécanique du fémur après implantation de lélément lélément fémoral étant conçu pour être "mécaniqueme
