RETURN TO SPORTS FOLLOWING KNEE OSTEOTOMY IN COMPETITIVE ATHLETES - CASE SERIES

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment

Background:

• Knee osteoarthritis significantly impacts athletes' ability to participate in sports.
• Osteotomy around the knee is a surgical option for active individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the rate of return to sport and the level of athletic activity after knee osteotomy in a longitudinal cohort of athletes.
• To assess the time to return to maximum activity levels and the reoperation rate post-osteotomy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of active athletes who underwent knee osteotomy for osteoarthritis.
• Data collection included pre- and post-operative Tegner scores (maximum physical activity level), time to return to maximum activities, and reoperation rates.

Main Results:

• Nineteen out of twenty athletes (95%) returned to sports.
• Thirteen athletes (65%) returned to their pre-surgery level of activity.
• The mean maximum Tegner score decreased slightly post-surgery (8.6 to 7.5), but this was statistically significant (P=0.026).
• Median time to return to maximum activity level was 13 months.

Conclusions:

• Knee osteotomy allows a high rate of return to sports for active athletes.
• Most athletes can return to their pre-injury level of sports participation after osteotomy.
• While a slight decrease in maximum activity level may occur, osteotomy is an effective treatment for enabling athletes to return to sport.