Knee Realignment Surgery (Osteotomy)

Arthritis in the knee can affect anyone, and can cause severe discomfort that does not go away on its own. At Curtis Robb, we provide the very best in knee realignment solutions and osteotomy treatment to help control these aches and pains and improve your overall quality of life.

Osteotomy often invites many questions, and our medical professionals will explore every aspect of this surgery with you in great detail. In the meantime, you can develop a general idea about what to expect by consulting the summary below.

What is osteotomy?

Osteotomy, in its simplest terms, is the process of knee realignment. It is usually recommended whenever a knee is affected by arthritis, which can occur on the inside (medial) or outside (lateral) of the joint.

For example, if you have a bowed leg, your body weight goes through the inside (medial compartment) of the knee (Figure 1) as you walk. Arthritis will cause the knee to progressively drift into a shape which is increasingly bowed.

A knocked knee, however, will cause your body weight to go through the outside (lateral compartment) of the knee instead (Figure 3). Arthritis can then lead to the development of a knock kneed shape.

By realigning the knee/leg so it heals in an improved position, our surgical team can avert further development of arthritis and allow you to get the most out of your knee.

Osteotomy: Our treatments

By performing an osteotomy, we can offload your body weight from the worn compartment onto the good side of the knee. This can control and/or completely eliminate any pain (Figures 2 and 4).

Following surgery, your bone heals in a stronger, healthier position. This prevents you from having to have your knee replaced and also means you’ll be able to re-engage in sporting activity (including impact exercise) afterwards.

Your knee will have a more natural feel than can be achieved with metal and plastic knee replacements; if any future joint replacement is required, the preservation of bone through leg re-alignment can also make the process much easier.

You can learn more about osteotomy from our helpful team by calling 01925 215 047 or sending an email to curtis@curtisrobb.co.uk. With Curtis Robb, you’re in the most capable hands.

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  Fig 1. Bowed leg (in varus) with wear & pain on inside of knee

  

  Fig 2. After osteotomy with leg shape improved (same patient as Fig 1)

  
  

  

  Fig 3. Knock kneed leg (in valgus) with wear & pain on the outside of knee.

  

  Fig 4. After osteotomy with the patient’s pain and leg shape improved