Osteotomy literally means "cutting of the bone." In a knee osteotomy, either the tibia
(shinbone) or femur (thighbone) is cut and then reshaped to relieve pressure on the
knee joint.
Knee osteotomy is used when you have early-stage osteoarthritis that has damaged just
one side of the knee joint. By shifting your weight off of the damaged side of the joint,
an osteotomy can relieve pain and significantly improve function in your arthritic knee.
Description
Osteoarthritis can develop when the bones of your knee and leg do not line up properly.
This can put extra stress on either the inner (medial) or outer (lateral) side of your knee.
Over time, this extra pressure can wear away the smooth cartilage that protects the
bones, causing pain and stiffness in your knee.
(Left) A normal knee joint with healthy cartilage. (Right) Osteoarthritis that has
damaged just one side of the knee joint.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Knee osteotomy has three goals:
To transfer weight from the arthritic part of the knee to a healthier area
To correct poor knee alignment
To prolong the life span of the knee joint
By preserving your own knee anatomy, a successful osteotomy may delay the need for a
joint replacement for several years. Another advantage is that there are no restrictions
on physical activities after an osteotomy - you will be able to comfortably participate in
your favorite activities, even high impact exercise.
Osteotomy does have disadvantages. For example, pain relief is not as predictable after
osteotomy compared with a partial or total knee replacement. Because you cannot put
your weight on your leg after osteotomy, it takes longer to recover from an osteotomy
procedure than a partial knee replacement.
In some cases, having had an osteotomy can make later knee replacement surgery more
challenging.
The recovery is typically more difficult than a partial knee replacement because of pain
and not being able to put weight on the leg.
Because results from total knee replacement and partial knee replacement have been
so successful, knee osteotomy has become less common. Nevertheless, it remains an
option for many patients.
