Early Completion of Radiographic Bone Union With Rare Complications After Inverted V-Shaped High Tibial Osteotomy...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Bone Healing Research
• Biomechanical Engineering

Background:

• The inverted V-shaped high tibial osteotomy (iVHTO) with a locking compression plate (LCP) is a surgical option for severe varus deformity in medial osteoarthritic knees.
• Limited data exists on bone healing progression and union completion after iVHTO.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate bone healing progression at the osteotomy site following iVHTO with LCP.
• To determine the time to bone union after this surgical procedure.

Main Methods:

• A case series of 109 knees in 96 patients undergoing iVHTO with LCP.
• Radiographic and CT imaging analyzed at multiple time points up to 104 weeks.
• Quantitative assessment of bone union using the radiographic union score for tibial fractures.

Main Results:

• Bone healing classified into 3 types: direct (75.2%), indirect (18.3%), and delayed (6.4%).
• Mean union times: 10.6 weeks (type 1), 16.8 weeks (type 2), 22.3 weeks (type 3). Overall mean union time was 12.5 weeks.
• Overall complication rate was 9.2%, primarily delayed union, with significant differences among healing types.

Conclusions:

• Direct bone healing is a characteristic outcome of iVHTO with LCP.
• Early bone union and a low complication rate are key clinical benefits of the iVHTO procedure.