Sports activities after lower limb osteotomy

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Degenerative Joint Disease

Background:

• Active sports participation is crucial for managing degenerative joint disease in the lower limbs.
• Osteotomy is a surgical procedure for hip, knee, and ankle osteoarthritis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the possibility of active sports participation after osteotomy for hip, knee, and ankle osteoarthritis.
• To evaluate the impact of sports activities on outcomes following lower limb osteotomy.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, Google Scholar).
• Keywords used were 'osteotomy and sports' with no restrictions on time period or language.
• Eleven studies (all Level IV evidence) met the inclusion criteria, with a focus on high tibial, periacetabular, and distal tibial osteotomies.

Main Results:

• Most patients who were active in sports pre-osteotomy can participate in recreational sports post-surgery.
• No studies reported successful participation in competitive sports after lower limb osteotomy.
• Intensive sports engagement post-osteotomy may negatively impact outcomes, potentially leading to re-operation.

Conclusions:

• Selected sports activities may be feasible for patients after lower limb osteotomy for osteoarthritis.
• There is a risk of accelerated arthritis progression and earlier implant failure with increased activity levels.
• Further prospective comparative studies are needed to clarify the relationship between sports participation and osteotomy outcomes.