The role of knee osteotomy in the setting of articular cartilage repair

Abstract

Knee osteotomies were initially used to treat degenerative arthritis of the knee. Over time, indications have become stricter, and now knee osteotomies are primarily used to correct varus or valgus malalignment associated with unicompartmental osteoarthritis. Knee osteotomies redistribute the load from the diseased compartment to the more normal compartment. Knee osteotomies can be used for primary treatment of knee pain and tibiofemoral malalignment, or they can be combined with cartilage repair procedures to provide a chondroprotective effect. By correcting the tibiofemoral malalignment, joint reactive forces are decreased in the diseased compartment, allowing for improved survival of meniscal transplants and cartilage resurfacing procedures. © 2007 Humana Press Inc.