title: Patellofemoral alignment and anterior knee pain after closing- and opening-wedge valgus high tibial osteotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of opening- and closing-wedge valgus high tibial osteotomy (HTO) for the treatment of medial unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis with a minimum follow-up of 3 years, with a focus on patellofemoral alignment and anterior knee pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective comparison of 50 patients who underwent closing-wedge HTO and 50 patients who underwent opening-wedge HTO for isolated medial joint arthritis of the knee with varus deformity. All patients were evaluated and the 2 study groups were compared after a minimum follow-up of 3 years with a focus on patellofemoral alignment, patellofemoral osteoarthritis, and anterior knee pain while climbing stairs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patellar alignment (patellar tilt and lateral patellar displacement) was not significantly different in the 2 groups either preoperatively or at follow-up. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the extent of patellofemoral arthritis and incidence of anterior knee pain at follow-up between the 2 groups. In addition, no significant intergroup difference was found in terms of the incidence of anterior knee pain (28% in closing-wedge group and 32% in opening-wedge group at follow-up).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of closing- and opening-wedge valgus HTO were not found to be significantly different with respect to patellar alignment, osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint, or anterior knee pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level III, retrospective comparative study.
authors.affiliation: Center for Joint Disease, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Jeonnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Il-Hyeon
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Eun-Kyoo
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hyoung-Yeon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Keun-Bae
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji-Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.forename: Jong-Keun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Seon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D057071:Patellofemoral Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D046788:Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors