Valgus high tibial osteotomy. A long-term follow-up study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Knee Osteoarthritis Research

Background:

• Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease impacting knee function.
• Valgus high tibial osteotomy (VHTO) is a surgical procedure to correct knee alignment in OA patients.
• Long-term outcomes of VHTO in osteoarthrosis require continued clinical evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clinically review long-term outcomes of valgus high tibial osteotomy in patients with knee osteoarthrosis.
• To assess the revision rate and functional prognosis following VHTO.
• To investigate the influence of patient age and sex on VHTO results.

Main Methods:

• Clinical review of 128 knees in 107 patients who underwent VHTO for osteoarthrosis.
• Postoperative follow-up ranging from 3 to 15 years (mean 7.5 years).
• Analysis of revision rates and assessment of good/excellent results based on patient demographics.

Main Results:

• The overall revision rate for osteoarthrosis was 10.9%.
• Patients older than 60 had comparable results to those younger than 60.
• Good and excellent results were observed in 79.6% up to nine years, and 70% from ten to 15 years.

Conclusions:

• Valgus high tibial osteotomy demonstrates a moderate revision rate in osteoarthrosis patients.
• Age at surgery and sex do not appear to significantly alter the long-term prognosis of VHTO.
• Sustained good to excellent functional outcomes are achievable with VHTO for knee osteoarthrosis over 15 years.