Realignment Osteotomy
January 16, 2008
LAHAINA, Hawaii – While the use of nonarthroplasty options for knee arthritis has diminished during the last decade, one orthopedic surgeon presenting here said that realignment osteotomy remains a good option for a certain patient population.
Today, patients undergoing realignment osteotomy, which can result in the transfer of weight-bearing forces from the arthritic portion of the knee to a healthier location in the joint to increase its lifespan, tend to be younger and more active than in years past, Robert T. Trousdale, MD, said at the Orthopedics Today Hawaii 2008 meeting.
…Two major pitfalls for osteotomies are poor patient selection and technique, which often results in poor alignment postoperatively, he said.
Trousdale said he prefers to use the opening wedge osteotomy rather than the closing wedge approach…
…”Some of the advantages of the medial opening wedge osteotomy include a more precise correction, its ease of use, it avoids the proximal tibiofibular joint, and it does not require a fibular osteotomy. It also restores tension to a lax medial cruciate ligament,” he said.