Editorial Commentary: Avoid Creating an Oblique Joint Line After an Opening Medial Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy

A medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy is a cost-effective procedure for younger patients with symptomatic medial compartment knee arthritis. A high rate of success can be expected, but excessive postoperative joint line obliquity is associated with inferior clinical outcomes. If preoperative planning predicts that the postoperative medial proximal tibial angle, the medial angle between the tibial anatomical axis and the joint line of the proximal tibia, will exceed 95°, a surgeon should consider performing a double-level osteotomy (combined proximal tibial and distal femoral osteotomies).     

Editorial Commentary: Lateral Hinge Fracture After Opening Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy With Long Locking Plate Use

Lateral hinge fracture (LHF) is a common complication after opening wedge high tibial osteotomy. Such a fracture can be caused by many factors such as osteotomy level, amount of opening, hinge position, and kind of plate. In particular, long locking plates have superior biomechanical stability in cases of LHF compared with short plates. Therefore, these long locking plates should be used in cases of LHF after opening wedge high tibial osteotomy.     

Patient Expectations and Satisfaction After Medial Opening Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy

BackgroundThe objective of this study is to assess preoperative patient expectations of medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) and related postoperative fulfillment, to increase understanding of associated factors of postoperative satisfaction.MethodsOne hundred fifteen patients who underwent MOWHTO were enrolled. Patients’ expectations were measured using the Hospital for Special Surgery-Knee Replacement Expectations Survey. Fulfillment of expectations and satisfaction was evaluated using the Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Replacement Fulfillment of Expectations Survey and a 5-point Likert scale at 2 years, postoperatively. The discrepancies between preoperative expectation and postoperative fulfillment score were also assessed. Preoperative and postoperative patient-reported outcomes were evaluated using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to model predictions for satisfaction.ResultsThe most expected items were “pain relief,” “walking ability,” and “perform daily activities.” The top 3 items with the biggest discrepancies between expectation and fulfillment scores were “kneeling,” “squatting,” and “pain relief.” Ninety patients (78.3%) were satisfied and 25 (21.7%) were dissatisfied at 2 years postoperative. Multivariate logistic regressions showed that patient expectations did not affect satisfaction. Small discrepancies between expectation and fulfillment scores (odds ratio [OR] 105.304, 95% confidence interval 20.974-528.714, P < .001), high postoperative fulfillment scores (OR 1.198, 95% CI 1.110-1.293, P < .001), and low postoperative Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index total scores (OR 0.932, 95% CI 0.894-0.971, P < .001) were significantly associated with patient satisfaction.ConclusionThe small discrepancy between preoperative expectations and postoperative fulfillment of expectations was a major contributor to patients’ satisfaction following MOWHTO.     

Editorial Commentary: High Tibial Osteotomy May Not Be Required With Medial Meniscus Root Repair

Meniscal root tears are defined as tears within 10 mm of their attachment and are more commonly observed in middle-aged patients. They have been named the silent epidemic and are equivalent to a total meniscectomy. Basic science studies have shown that posterior meniscus root repairs restore both contact area and pressure to its native state. The role of an additional high tibial osteotomy is not clear yet. High tibial osteotomies are commonly used to correct varus malalignment, a condition that is often observed with these tears. However, an additional osteotomy does not seem to offer any additional clinical benefits with regards to clinical and radiologic outcomes. It also has no effect with regards to contact pressure and contact area and is not related to the degree of deformity correction.     

Editorial Commentary: High Tibial Osteotomy for Varus Knees With Medial Osteoarthritis May Prevent Total Knee Arthroplasty

High tibial osteotomy for unilateral medial knee osteoarthritis unloads the osteoarthritic area, gives pain relief, and may prevent later osteoarthritis if performed for the ideal indications. The risk of conversion of high tibial osteotomy to total knee arthroplasty is higher if osteoarthritis has advanced too far and for overweight persons, cigarette smokers, older patients, female patients, patients with a high level of comorbidity, and patients with under-correction of the varus malalignment.     

Editorial Commentary: Medial Meniscal Root Repair May Not Be Required During Knee Medial-Compartment Unloading High Tibial Osteotomy

Medial meniscal root tears are biomechanically similar to a total meniscectomy. Repair is clinically indicated and supported by evidence. Increased contact pressures can result in cartilage degeneration and early onset of osteoarthritis. Once diffuse grade 3 or 4 osteoarthritis has settled in, repair may not be indicated anymore. Combining medial meniscal root repair with a high tibial osteotomy for grade 3 or 4 medial-compartment osteoarthritis is not beneficial, and osteotomy alone provides very similar clinical outcomes at 2 years. Meniscal healing was observed in only 18% of patients, and the rate of “cartilage recovery” during second-look arthroscopy was between 8% and 24%. The low sample size, short follow-up, and historical control group limit the validity and generalizability of these conclusions.     

Editorial Commentary: Posterolateral Malposition of the Cortical Hinge During Medial Open-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy Increases Posterior Tibial Slope: Incomplete Posterior Osteotomy May Shift the Hinge From Lateral to Posterolateral

Medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy is an established treatment option for relatively young patients with medial-compartment osteoarthritis and varus deformity. This procedure is mainly focused on correcting coronal malalignment; however, it inevitably affects the posterior tibial slope (PTS) in the sagittal plane. The alteration of the PTS significantly affects knee stability and kinematics. When medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy is performed, incomplete osteotomy of the posterior cortex could lead to a cortical hinge shift from the lateral side to the posterolateral side, which indicates the alteration of the axial hinge axis. In this case, there is a risk of an increasing PTS. In addition, incomplete posterior cortex osteotomy can lead to a lateral hinge fracture.     

Editorial Commentary: Knee Preoperative Medial Laxity May Result in Overcorrection or Varus Recurrence After Open-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy

The long-term results of high tibial osteotomy (HTO) depend mainly on postoperative alignment. However, under- or overcorrection can occur during and after surgery. Biomechanically, excessive overcorrection after HTO can potentially lead to unfavorable knee kinematics and increased shear stress at the joint surface. Fine tuning of the medial soft tissue during open wedge HTO is necessary for a satisfactory limb alignment.     

Editorial Commentary: High Tibial Osteotomy Lateral Hinge Fracture Is More Common in Patients With Posterolateral Tibial Condylar Protrusion

The most common adverse event during opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy is lateral hinge fracture. It may be caused by a variety of factors, including an insufficient osteotomy, a large opening gap, an inappropriate hinge position, and early weight bearing with compromised fixation. In addition, particularly in men, posterolateral protrusion of the proximal tibial condyle often results in an insufficient posterior cortical osteotomy owing to surgical overprotection in an effort to avoid popliteal vessel injury. An insufficient posterolateral osteotomy shifts the hinge point posteriorly, resulting in an unstable hinge fracture during opening of the osteotomy wedge, as well as undesirable changes in the mechanical axis. A solution in patients with a large posterolateral proximal tibial condyle could be to shift the osteotomy slightly distally. Surgeons should be mindful of individual proximal tibial morphology in the area of the lateral hinge.     

Comparison of Lateral Opening Wedge Calcaneal Osteotomy and Medial Calcaneal Sliding-opening Wedge Cuboid-closing Wedge Cuneiform Osteotomy for Correction of Planovalgus Foot Deformity in Children

The purpose of the present study was to compare the clinical and radiographic results between 2 procedures, lateral opening wedge calcaneal osteotomy (LCL) and medial calcaneal sliding-opening wedge cuboid-closing wedge cuneiform osteotomy (3C) in patients with planovalgus foot deformity. A total of 38 patients who underwent either LCL (18 patients, 28 feet) or 3C (20 patients, 32 feet) were included in the present study. The etiology of the planovalgus foot deformity was idiopathic in 16 feet and cerebral palsy in 44 feet. The 2 procedures used in the present study were indicated in symptomatic (pain or callus) children in whom conservative treatment, such as shoe modifications or orthotics, had been applied for more than 1 year but had failed. The patients were evaluated preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the last follow-up visit, both clinically and radiologically, and the interval to union and postoperative courses were compared between the 2 groups. In the LCL group, 19 of the 28 feet (68%) showed a satisfactory outcome and 9 (32%) an unsatisfactory outcome. In the 3C group, 28 of the 32 feet (88%) showed a satisfactory outcome and 4 (12%) an unsatisfactory outcome. The clinical results were not significantly different between the 2 groups, with mild to moderate pes planovalgus deformity. However, the clinical results were better in the 3C group with severe pes planovalgus deformity than in the LCL group with severe pes planovalgus deformity. All 4 radiographic parameters were improved at the last follow-up visit in both groups. In particular, the talar–first metatarsal angle and the calcaneal pitch angle on the weightbearing lateral radiographs were significantly improved in the 3C group with mild to moderate planovalgus foot deformity. All 4 parameters were significantly improved in the 3C group with severe planovalgus foot deformity. No significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of the interval to union and postoperative care. No case of postoperative deep infection or nonunion was encountered in either group. 3C is a more effective procedure than LCL for the correction of pes planovalgus deformity in children, especially severe pes planovalgus deformities.     

Good Validity and High Internal Consistency of the Forgotten Joint Score-12 in Patients After Medial Opening Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy

BackgroundThe Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) was originally developed to assess awareness of an artificial joint. Medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO), an alternative surgical method of knee replacement, is a joint-preservation surgery; therefore, joint awareness should be used to evaluate its clinical results. However, FJS-12 has not been validated as a tool to evaluate the postoperative results of MOWHTO. This study aimed to validate FJS-12 in MOWHTO.MethodsPatients with bilateral knee surgery, previous knee surgery, flexion contracture >15°, varus alignment >20°, and patients without plate removal surgery were excluded. Finally, 71 knees of 71 patients were analyzed, with a mean follow-up of 34.5 months. The FJS-12 score and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) were obtained, and the floor and ceiling effect of each score was investigated. Cronbach’s α was calculated to determine the internal consistency of FJS-12. Spearman’s correlation coefficients between FJS-12 and KOOS were calculated to assess convergent validity.ResultsThere were ceiling effects in 3 KOOS subscales (symptoms [25.4%], pain [15.5%], and activities of daily living [25.4%]) but not in FJS-12 (8.5%). No floor effect was noted in any patient-reported outcome measures. The total Cronbach’s α was 0.9457 in FJS-12. FJS-12 showed moderate-to-strong positive correlations with all KOOS subscales (r = 0.64-0.72).ConclusionFJS-12 showed a lower ceiling effect than KOOS and high internal consistency and convergent validity in patients following MOWHTO. With its low ceiling effect, FJS-12 was found to be useful for evaluating patients following MOWHTO.