Osteotomies about the knee

Abstract

Osteotomy surgery for the treatment of knee pathology is not a new concept. Historically, osteotomy was a valued surgical procedure for the management of unicompartmental osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. However, since the successful introduction of arthroplasty surgery, the role of osteotomy has become less well defined. It is not routinely offered by many knee surgeons and often it is a procedure confined to specialist centres. Recent advances in pre-operative planning, surgical technique and fixation methods have brought osteotomy surgery into the modern age. Consequently, the indications for its use have become broader. This chapter will focus on osteotomy surgery for the management of unicompartmental osteoarthritis. It will describe indications for surgery and the outcomes that can be expected. It is hoped that this chapter will provide insight for anyone considering osteotomy as part of their surgical strategy for the management of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.