Osteotomy: General Concepts and Indications

Abstract

Before the introduction of the total knee arthroplasty into clinical practice, an osteotomy was the treatment of choice for osteoarthritis. Today, an osteotomy is considered technically difficult for the surgeon and demanding for the patient. Nevertheless, in our daily practice osteotomies are an important treatment option for arthritis of the knee because they allow a return to a high level of activities including sports. An osteotomy delays the need for a total knee prosthesis in young active patients. Obviously, the following variables have to be taken into account: the type of arthritis, clinical and radiological criteria, and patient expectations. In this chapter, we will not discuss the criteria that make us chose an osteotomy over a total knee prosthesis for degenerative knee pathology, but rather which type of osteotomy is indicated in different clinical situations.