We studied 34 severe osteoarthritic knees in 25 patients who underwent high tibial osteotomy (HTO). The mean age of the patients in the study group was 68.9 years at the time of surgery and the mean duration of follow-up was 6.6 years. Out of 25 patients 15 (60%) were farmers and of these 25, four patients underwent total knee replacement (TKR) on the other side. 88% of patients achieved good or excellent clinical results, and 3 out of 4 patients who had both HTO and TKR achieved good results on the HTO side.
These results suggested that HTO is a suitable operation for patients with severe osteoarthritic knees and also for those in higher age groups, particularly if they wish to continue active work post-operatively.
