Knee osteotomy | Knee Deformity Surgery in Hyderabad
Knee osteotomy: Knee deformity surgery is a surgical procedure where the knee bone is cut to correct the alignment of the knee to improve its function. It is recommended when a person has arthritis that damages just a part of the knee. Osteotomy procedures can also be accompanied by other knee surgeries for better results.
The main goal of this surgery involves shifting weight from the damaged side of the knee joint to the healthy knee joint side. An Orthopedic Knee Surgeon makes this possible by removing or adding a wedge of bone by cutting or altering the alignment or shape of the bone.
Usually, a knee osteotomy procedure is performed on people younger than 55 years of age. This is because TKR wears out quickly in younger people. Most of the people who undergo knee osteotomy for arthritis might need to undergo a total knee replacement about 10 to 15 years later.
Knee Deformity Surgery in Hyderabad | Knee Osteotomy
Slick cartilage is a resilient and smooth elastic tissue that helps the ends of the knee bones to move smoothly against each other. Osteoarthritis can damage and wear out the cartilage and create a rough surface.
The damage of the cartilage narrows the space between the femur and tibia bones. As a result, the knee might bow inward or outward depending on the affected area. This bowing of the knee can be straightened by removing or adding a wedge of bone in the upper shinbone or lower thighbone. Your weight is shifted to the undamaged part of the knee joint to increase the life span of your knee joint.
Osteoarthritis is a condition that develops when your knee bones and leg do not aline properly. This might result in extra stress on either the inner or outer side of the knee. The extra pressure on the bone wears away the smooth cartilage which protects the bones over time. It even causes pain and stiffness in the knee joint.
Here are the two most common knee osteotomies:
- High tibial osteotomy – reshaping of the shin bone
- Femoral osteotomy – reshaping of the thigh bone
High Tibial Osteotomy
High tibial osteotomy is a procedure that involves adding or removing a wedge of bone to the tibia called shin bone just below the knee. This is a procedure mostly performed to relieve pain, improve joint functioning, and correct bow-legged alignment.
Femoral Osteotomy
Femoral osteotomy is a procedure involves adding or removing a wedge of bone to the femur called thigh bone. Typically, the bone is sliced just above the knee. Femoral osteotomies are mostly performed to correct a knock-kneed alignment, to improve the functioning of joints, and to relieve arthritis pain.
Advantages and Disadvantages Of Knee Osteotomy
Knee osteotomy is a reasonable and most beneficial surgical treatment option For patients under age 60 suffering from arthritis pain.
The main goal of knee osteotomy is:
- To transfer the weight from the damaged part of the knee to a healthier part
- To fix the poor knee alignment
- To increase the life span of the knee joint
Advantages of knee osteotomy compared to knee replacement surgery are:
- Your actual knee joint including the ligaments is preserved.
- After healing most people can return to their normal activities like jogging, playing games that are not recommended after total knee replacements(TKR) surgery.
However, there are some minor disadvantages compared to total knee replacement, i.e., pain relief is not so sure after osteotomy compared to partial or total knee replacement. The recovery is also longer and difficult because you need to bear your weight on the operated knee right away.
In some cases, knee replacement surgery might become challenging after having had an osteotomy. Because of the successful results of total knee replacement and partial knee replacement, knee osteotomy surgery has become less common.
Procedure Of Knee Osteotomy
Knee osteotomy surgery involves operating your shinbone or thighbone. It depends on the location of the damaged joint. Mostly osteotomy procedure is performed on the shinbone to align the bowed leg caused due to knee arthritis. The condition creates excess pressure on the inside of the knee.
In this procedure, the surgeon cuts across the bone open a gap and fill it with a bone graft, and then fixes the bone with a plate and screws. This procedure is called as opening wedge osteotomy.
Closing Wedge Osteotomy
There is another procedure where the shinbone or thighbone is cut open and then a wedge of bone is removed. The edges of the bone cut are brought together and held with metal hardware and is called closing wedge osteotomy. Usually, this is done to align a knock-knee properly.
The tibial osteotomy procedure was implemented in the late 1950s in Europe. Sometimes, this procedure is also termed as “high tibial osteotomy.”
If you have troublesome knees, don’t worry, contact Dr. Vasu one of the best Knee surgeons in Hyderabad. Dr. Vasudeva treats a wide range of knee problems from mild to severe conditions. For all your concerns related to knee deformity surgery in Hyderabad meet Dr. Vasudeva Juvvadi
