Clinical outcomes of open and closed wedge tibial valgus osteotomy for the management of genu varum deformities and mechanical medial tibiofemoral osteoarthritis

Abstract

Background: There is a huge controversy regarding proximal tibial osteotomies outcomes when treating genu varum deformities and medial tibiofemoral compartment arthrosis. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes of the open and closed wedge tibial valgus osteotomy in patients with genu varus deformity and mechanical medial tibiofemoral osteoarthritis, according to Lysholm and Tegner scales.
Material and methods: A descriptive, case series study was conducted on 24 patients with varus deformity of the knee and unicompartmental mechanical arthrosis of the medial tibiofemoral compartment of the knee from January 2006 to January 2011. A medial open wedge tibial osteotomy was performed in patients with medial collateral ligament laxity, while a closed wedge osteotomy was performed in those patients with strained medial collateral ligament, as observed by the valgus stress maneuvers performed during the preoperative evaluation.
Results: Excellent results were obtained in 91.7% of subjects, and 8.3% were good according to the Lysholm scale, with a mean score on the Tegner scale of 4.4%.
Discussion: The tibial valgus osteotomy offers good and excellent clinical outcomes in patients with mechanical medial tibiofemoral osteoarthritis and varus knee deformity.