Twenty-one patients with lateral compartment osteoarthritis and valgus
deformity of the knee underwent distal femoral supracondylar osteotom
y (medial closing wedge) between 1983 and 1993 with followup ranging f
rom 1 to 8 years. Ten knees had plaster-cast immobilization, 5 had fix
ation with 2 staples supplemented with a plaster cast, and 6 knees had
rigid internal fixation with an AO blade plate. Thirty-three percent
of patients had a satisfactory result using the HSS score, and 57% had
a satisfactory result using the Knee Society Clinical Rating. Fifty-s
even percent had a significant complication, including severe knee sti
ffness requiring manipulation under anesthesia (48%), nonunion/delayed
union (19%), infection (10%), and fixation failure (5%). Five (19%) k
nees required total knee replacement within 5 years of surgery. Satisf
actory results were obtained only in those patients who had less sever
e degrees of osteoarthritis confined to the lateral compartment (grade
s I to III), adequate correction of valgus deformity (the anatomical a
xis within 2 degrees from zero), and rigid internal fixation to permit
postoperative early mobilization. These results indicate that distal
femoral osteotomy is a satisfactory procedure in the young, active pat
ient with osteoarthritis of the lateral compartment of the knee, but r
equires precise surgical technique and rigid internal fixation.