Osteotomy

Careful consultation with a physician is important in order to ensure proper planning during a recovery phase.

Tools exist to assist recovering patients who may have non–weight bearing requirements and include bedpans, dressing sticks, long-handled shoe-horns, grabbers/reachers and specialized walkers and wheelchairs.

Some are named after the shape of cut (e.g. Chevron, Wedge) or the way the bones are aligned (Dial=old style rotary dial phone).

A femoral derotation osteotomy can be performed to correct version abnormalities such as excessive anteversion or retroversion of the hip joint.

[5] A subtrochanteric blade plate or an intramedullary rod can be used to stabilize the osteotomy site in a femoral derotation osteotomy until compete bone healing is achieved; an approach employing an intramedullary rod is much less invasive than one using a subtrochanteric blade plate.

The goal is to shift the patient's body weight off the damaged area to the other side of the knee, where the cartilage is still healthy.

[citation needed] Osteotomy is also used as an alternative treatment to total knee replacement in younger and active patients.

[9] During a high tibial osteotomy, surgeons remove a wedge of bone from the outside of the knee, which causes the leg to bend slightly inward.

Surgeons map out the exact size of the bone wedge they will remove, using an X-ray, CT scan, or 3D computer modeling.

[citation needed] A standard oscillating saw is run along the guide wires, removing most of the bone wedge from underneath the outside of the knee, below the healthy cartilage.

The top of the shinbone is then lowered on the outside and attached with surgical staples or screws, depending on the size of the wedge that was removed.

Also, there is usually temporary loss of feeling of the lip and chin after that takes several weeks to months for full return of sensation.

Recovery is often 6–8 weeks and the osteotomy can be filled with autologous bone grafts, scaffolds (hydroxyapatite, TR Matrix, etc.)