[Walking ability after treatment of the knee osteoarthritis with OSTEO+ system]

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the walking ability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee before and after opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy with use of OSTEO+ system. From 2002 to 2005 thirty medial opening-wedge tibial osteotomies were performed in thirty patients. Patients with varus knee deformity and moderate degenerative changes of the knee were chosen for the procedure. A medial transverse osteotomy was performed proximal to the tibial tuberosity. The medial side of the osteotomy site was opened to the desired angle of correction. The opened osteotomy site was fixed with OSTEO+ system with no bone graft used. The goal was to achieve a final standing alignment of 5 degrees of anatomical valgus angulation. We assessed the patients with The Knee Score and The Functional Score before and after the procedure. The average follow-up was 2 years. All patients had pain relief and improvement in walking ability after the osteotomy. There were no cases of recurrence of varus deformity.