Satisfactory long-term survival, functional and radiological outcomes of open-wedge high tibial osteotomy for managing knee osteoarthritis: Minimum 10-year follow-up study

This prospective cohort study was designed to evaluate the survivorship and functional outcomes associated with long-term results of medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) for the treatment of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis in the Chinese population. Although MOWHTO is a well-established procedure in the management of medial osteoarthritis of the knee, the long-term outcome in the Chinese population has not been reported in current literature. We hypothesised that MOWHTO would result in long-term preservation of knee function in Chinese, similar to that reported in the Caucasian population. A cohort of 22 young adult patients (age 10 years) were evaluated. In addition, the mechanical tibiofemoral angle was also measured. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for statistical evaluation of nonparametric data in these related samples. A total of 31 knees in these 22 cases were included. The follow-up rate was 100% at 13.4 ± 1.9 years (11–17). Mean age at time of surgery was 45.8 ± 9.5 years (18–53). At 10-year follow-up, four knees converted to require total knee arthroplasty (survival: 87.1%). Preoperative varus alignment with mechanical tibiofemoral angle of −9.26 ± 2.83 was corrected to 2.58 ± 2.46 after surgery and remained 2.01 ± 3.52 at the latest follow-up. Knee Society Knee Score increased significantly from 53.7 ± 11.1 preoperatively to 93.8 ± 6.8 at 1-year follow-up and 91.8 ± 9.7 at latest follow-up. Similarly, the functional score also increased significantly from 67.4 ± 21.0 preoperatively to 86.3 ± 14.5 at 1-year follow-up and 82.1 ± 16.6 at latest follow-up (p