Intra-articular correction of extra-articular tibial deformities with total knee arthroplasty.
BACKGROUND
Extra-articular leg deformities may occur in the femur or tibia from mal-unions from previous trauma or metabolic bone disease. Secondary osteoarthritis at the knee occurs due to loss of mechanical alignment of the limb. At surgery for total knee arthroplasty, mechanical alignment can be restored intra-articularly with appropriate bone cuts and soft tissue balancing.


METHODS
We describe 2 case studies with extra-articular tibial deformities (9° and 24° varus deformity) which were corrected with a 1 stage procedure of total knee arthroplasty with intra-articular deformity correction.


CONCLUSIONS
Patient selection, pre-operative considerations and surgical technique are discussed with reference to the literature.


CONCLUSIONS
One stage intra-articular correction of extra-articular deformity is suitable for mild degrees of varus deformities (<30°). Staged corrective procedures with larger deformities in the tibia or femur can be performed with extra-articular osteotomies on top of intra-articular corrections. Consideration should be given to the use of computer navigation when conventional jigs cannot be applied to deformed bone.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University Hospital, Singapore, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore. Electronic address: wei_liang_chua@nuhs.edu.sg.
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