High tibial osteotomy for valgus and varus deformities of the knee

In 53 patients with a mean age of 38 (17-73) years, 71 high tibial osteotomies were performed. Twenty-three patients had no radiological signs of osteoarthrosis (Ahlback grade 0), whereas 26 patients had primary and 22 patients secondary osteoarthritis. Follow-up was 10.5 (5.8-16.6) years. The patients without radiological osteoarthrosis achieved almost exclusively good or very good scores using the Lysholm-Gillquist (96%) and the Insall scale (83%). By contrast, only 29% of the patients with radiological osteoarthritis achieved good or very good scores. Whether the patient had primary or secondary osteoarthrosis was of no influence. Neither was the preoperative axial deviation.