Knee Osteotomy
If non-surgical options have failed to treat your knee pain, knee osteotomy may be an option. During knee osteotomy, a wedge of your bone near your joint is removed, and the joint is realigned. This can help reduce pain and improve your joint function. The most common condition treated with knee osteotomy is arthritis that’s located in only a portion of the knee.
What happens during knee osteotomy?
During a knee osteotomy procedure, your surgeon will cut part of the top of the shin bone (tibia) and the bottom of the thigh bone (femur) to realign them. In some cases, a piece of bone will be removed. In other cases, your surgeon may add bone. When there is damage in only one part of the knee, osteotomy works to shift the pressure in your knee from the damaged side to the healthy side.
What is high tibial osteotomy?
High tibial osteotomy is a common procedure used to treat arthritis in the knee. Using imaging, such as an X-ray, CT scan, or 3D computer models, your surgeon will map the specific size and location of bone that needs to be removed. During this procedure, your incision will start at your kneecap and go down your shin. Once a wedge of bone is removed from the top of your shin bone, the shin bone is realigned and secured in place with staples or screws.
What are the risks of knee osteotomy?
Every surgery has risks. While rare, the complications of osteotomy may include:
- Damage to the nerves or blood vessels
- Bone that fails to heal correctly
- Infection
- Blood supply issues in the skin causing tissue death
- Blood clots
- Compartment syndrome