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Return to Sport and Work Following Distal Femoral Varus Osteotomy: A Systematic Review
Hassaan Abdel Khalik1, Darius L Lameire1, Luc Rubinger2
1Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Summary
Distal femoral varus osteotomy (DFVO) helps young, active patients return to work and sport. While most patients achieve return to activity, not all return to their previous levels after DFVO surgery.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanical Engineering
Background:
- Distal femoral varus osteotomy (DFVO) is a surgical option for knee valgus malalignment.
- It preserves the native knee joint, making it suitable for young, active individuals over total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate return to work (RTW) and return to sport (RTS) rates after DFVO.
- To assess functional recovery and patient outcomes following DFVO for knee valgus.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies published up to December 31, 2020.
- Searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Web of Science for eligible English-language studies.
- Included studies explicitly reporting RTS and RTW rates post-DFVO.
Main Results:
- Seven studies with 127 patients were analyzed (mean age 32.4 years).
- Mean RTS rate was 87.2%, with 65.4% returning to preoperative levels.
- Mean RTW rate was 81.8%, with 72.8% returning to preoperative levels.
- Mean reoperation rate was 35.6% over a 5.5-year follow-up.
Conclusions:
- DFVO is a safe and effective procedure for genu valgum in young, active patients.
- Most patients successfully return to sport and/or work, though not always at prior activity levels.
- Further research is needed to comprehensively report RTS and RTW rates, including return to preoperative activity levels.
