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Why it's done

By Mayo Clinic staff

Slick cartilage allows the ends of the bones in a healthy knee to move smoothly against each other. In osteoarthritis, this cartilage is damaged and worn away — creating a rough surface.

The lower portion of the thighbone has two knobs that move against the flatter surface of the top of the shinbone. If arthritis damage affects only one of these knobs, it can make your knee uneven — causing it to bow inward or outward. Removing or adding a wedge of bone in your upper shinbone or lower thighbone can help straighten out this bowing and shift your weight to the undamaged part of your knee joint.

Risks Definition
References
  1. Noyes FR, et al. High tibial osteotomy in the anterior cruciate ligament deficient knee with varus angulation. In: DeLee JC, et al. DeLee & Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: Principles and Practice. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..X0001-2--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-3143-7&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed June 17, 2011.
  2. Martin GM, et al. Total knee arthroplasty. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 17, 2011.
  3. Richmond JC. Surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee. Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;34:815.
  4. Surgical treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00385. Accessed June 17, 2011.
  5. Dabov G. Osteoarthritis: Knee. In: Canale ST, et al. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-4/0/1584/0.html. Accessed June 17, 2011.
  6. Brouwer RW, et al. Osteotomy for treating knee osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007;CD004019.
  7. Spangehl MJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 9, 2011.
MY00710 Aug. 23, 2011

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