Arthroscopic Evaluation of Cartilage Regeneration After Opening-wedge High Tibial Osteotomy
Arthroscopic Evaluation of Cartilage Regeneration After Opening-wedge High Tibial Osteotomy
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a common problem causing significant knee pain and disability.
 Medial compartment osteoarthritis is predisposed to by varus deformity of the knee. High
 tibial osteotomy is a well-established method for treatment of medial unicompartmental knee
 osteoarthritis and correction of varus deformity.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by erosion of the articular
 cartilage, hypertrophy of the bone at the margins and subchondral sclerosis. Osteoarthritis
 of the knee is a common problem causing significant knee pain and disability. Medial
 compartment osteoarthritis is predisposed to by varus deformity of the knee. High tibial
 osteotomy is a well-established method for treatment of medial unicompartmental knee
 osteoarthritis and correction of varus deformity. It is a joint preserving procedure
 especially preferred in young patients for whom arthroplasty is not desirable. The procedure
 promotes regeneration by causing lateral shift of the weight-bearing axis, thus decreasing
 load on the medial compartment and widening the medial joint space. The methods for اigh
 tibial osteotomy include opening-wedge osteotomy and closed wedge osteotomy. An opening-wedge
 osteotomy has become increasingly popular compared to the other technique. One of the
 disadvantages of this technique is that the plate is placed subcutaneously on the medial
 aspect of the proximal tibia. Many of the patients complains of irritation through the plate
 and wish metal removal after healing of the osteotomy. Few papers assessed regeneration of
 the articular cartilage after medial opening-wedge osteotomy.
Inclusion Criteria:

 1. Age younger than 65 years

 2. Medial joint line tenderness

 3. BMI less than 30

 4. Varus tibiofemoral malalignment

 5. Range of motion in the knee joint maintained from greater than 100 degrees of flexion
 to less than 15 degrees of flexion contracture

 6. Osteoarthritis of the knee with any degree of cartilage damage provided that the
 cartilage damage in the lateral compartment not exceeding Outerbridge grade 2

 7. No associated ligamentous functional instability

 Exclusion Criteria:

 1. Age older than 65 years

 2. Severe Lateral compartment osteoarthritis (Outerbridge grade 3 or 4)

 3. Flexion contracture of greater than 15 degrees

 4. Inflammatory arthritis, post-traumatic osteoarthritis, active knee infection