Abstract
We assessed the transformation of the proximal tibia after high tibial osteotomy (HTO) for osteoarthritis of the knee and subsequent total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and investigated the effects of tibia transformations on surgical procedures during TKA for high-tibial-osteotomized knee joints. The study was based on examinations of X-ray films of a study group of 3 patients with 5 TKA following HTO, and two control groups: one of 7 patients with 9 HTO, and the other of 10 patients with 15 primary TKA. Patellar height, tibial angle and tibial posterior inclination were measured. The group of patients with TKA following HTO and the HTO group showed significantly lower patellar height and tibial angle after HTO than those before HTO. Furthermore, the group of patients with TKA following HTO also showed a significantly lower patellar height and tibial angle before TKA than the primary TKA group. At the time of TKA, the patella infera and the transformation of the proximal tibia may cause difficulties in obtaining the appropriate surgical field or in setting the prosthesis.
