[High tibial osteotomy for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee].
OBJECTIVE
To summarize clinical application of the high tibial osteatomy (HTO) with lateral closing-wedge for the treatment of pain of unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee.


METHODS
From February 2000 to February 2004,9 patients (3 males and 6 females, ranging in age from 52 to 58 years, with an average of 56 years) with unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee treated by HTO with lateral closing-wedge. The proximal tibiofibular joint was exposed, the anterior part of the capsule was incised, and to remove a laterally based wedge with saw cuts and osteotomes. Stepped staples were used for the fixation of tibial osteotomies after closing the defect of osteotomy.


RESULTS
The operative course was uneventful. There were no complications after operation. The postoperative follow-up period ranged from 2 to 5.5 years (mean, 3.5 years). The results were evaluated with functional assessment criterion of the osteoarthritis of the knee, among the 9 cases, excellent was in 5 cases, good in 3 cases, fair in 1 case.


CONCLUSIONS
HTO with lateral closing-wedge is an effective operative method for the treatment of pain of unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee, but except for older patients over 60 years.
Zhang
Gong-lin
GL
Orthopaedics and Traumatology Hospital of Wenling City, Wenling 317500, Zhejiang, China. 668zgl@163.com
Zhang
Ming
M
Cai
Guo-rong
GR
Guo
Ao
A
Zhang
Wen-zheng
WZ
Hu
Yu-xiang
YX
Ding
Fa-ming
FM
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D013977:Tibia / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome