Valgus Osteotomy for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Recent reports indicate that proximal tibial osteotomy for osteoarthritis of the knee is contraindicated if subluxation of the joint is evident clinically or on weight-bearing X-rays, or if the angular deformity of the joint is greater than 15 degrees. The purpose of this paper is to present evidence that a proximal tibial osteotomy, properly planned and performed, can give consistently sat-sfactory results even in osteoarthritic knees which have preoperative varus deformities greater that 15 degrees or are subluxated. A proper planning requires an exact measurement of the deformity on full length X-rays, a precise preoperative drawing and a very exact osteotomy giving some overcorrection. The overcorrection must compensate for the weakness of the lateral muscles, the most frequent cause of the condition.