Incidence of Early Adverse Events After Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy

Tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) is a commonly utilized surgical procedure for the treatment of patellofemoral instability. Although midterm and long-term outcomes are known, perioperative complications have not been consistently reported.

To identify the incidence and predictors of adverse events in the first 90-day perioperative period after TTO.

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Patients undergoing primary TTO between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019, were included. Readmissions in the first 90 days after surgery were collected, and data were collected for the following variables: age, sex, smoking status, body mass index, laterality, preoperative diagnosis, presence of trochlear dysplasia, tourniquet use, TTO procedure, tibial tubercle distalization, trochleoplasty, chondral procedure, number of screws, and use of an epidural catheter. Predictors of readmission for any reason were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

A total of 345 TTO procedures were included in the final analysis. The incidence of readmissions for any reason was 20.6% (71/345). The most common reason for readmission was postoperative pain (26/345 [7.5%]), followed by wound complications (19/345 [5.5%]) and epidural catheter-related complications (overall: 16/345 [4.6%]; specific: 16/167 [9.6%]. The incidence of major complications was 2.0% (7/345). The number of patients with each major complication was as follows: 1 for deep vein thrombosis, 2 for pulmonary embolism, 1 for septic arthritis, 1 for tibial tubercle fracture, and 2 for loss of fixation. Female sex and smoking were associated with readmission for pain.

The incidence of major complications after TTO was very low (2.0%), but 20.6% of cases required readmission, primarily for an indwelling epidural catheter (3.5%) and postoperative pain (7.5%). Concomitant soft tissue procedures and the number of screws were associated with readmission after TTO. Utilizing individualized postoperative pain management and preoperative discussions about expected pain may help to avoid readmission for pain after TTO.