High Tibial Osteotomy for Osteoarthritis of the Knee with Valgus Deformity

In forty-nine osteotomies performed for valgus deformity, the results with regards to retention of mobility, relief of pain, and achievement of stability were far inferior to the results in a previously published series of sixty-three knees osteotomized for varus deformity. Instability was still present in thirty of forty-nine compared with eighteen of sixty-three; pain in twenty-three of forty-nine compared with eleven of sixty-three; and lack of adequate mobility in three of forty-nine compared with ten of sixty-three. The optimum position was 5 degrees of vaigus and overcorrection was bad. Knees with medial tilting of more than 15 degrees did poorly.