Return to sports after unilateral medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy in highly active patients: Analysis of factors affecting functional recovery
2025

Return to Sports After High Tibial Osteotomy

Sample size: 63 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Nakayama Hiroshi, Kanto R, Onishi Shintaro, Iseki Takuya, Nakao Yoshitaka, Tachibana Toshiya, Amai Kenta, Yoshiya Shinichi, Iseki Tomoya

Primary Institution: Hyogo Medical University

Hypothesis

The study hypothesized that opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy would achieve a high rate of return to high-impact sports in active patients.

Conclusion

Postoperative factors such as mTFA greater than 3° valgus, an opening gap greater than 10 mm, and KL grade 4 were identified as risk factors that impair the return to high-impact sports.

Supporting Evidence

  • 63 patients were included in the study, all of whom had a preoperative Tegner activity score of five or more.
  • 50 patients (79.4%) returned to high-impact sports at the presymptomatic level after surgery.
  • The mean time to return to sports was 8.0 months.
  • Significant improvements were observed in KOOS and IKDC scores postoperatively.
  • Factors such as postoperative mTFA >3° valgus and KL grade 4 were identified as significant risk factors for poor outcomes.

Takeaway

This study looked at patients who had knee surgery to help them get back to sports, and found that some factors can make it harder for them to return to their favorite activities.

Methodology

The study included 63 patients who underwent unilateral high tibial osteotomy and evaluated their outcomes using KOOS and IKDC scores, along with radiological assessments.

Potential Biases

Selection bias may exist due to the specific cohort of highly active patients who opted for surgery.

Limitations

The study was retrospective, had a small sample size, and included two different surgical procedures, which may introduce bias.

Participant Demographics

The mean age of participants was 55.8 years, with 44 males and 19 females.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.002

Confidence Interval

2.4–90.9

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1002/jeo2.70083

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