Effects of advanced bone flap versus no bone flap on the healing of osteotomy gap in high tibial osteotomy / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

To compare the effects of advanced bone flap and no bone flap on the healing of osteotomy gap in open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OW-HTO) for the treatment of medial compartment osteoarthritis and knee inversion.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 85 patients who had undergone OW-HTO from March 2021 to December 2021 at Trauma Emergency Centre, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University for medial compartment osteoarthritis and knee inversion. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether bone flap was grafted. In group A of 42 patients who received advanced bone flap intraoperatively, there were 32 females and 10 males with an age of (63.7±6.6) years; in group B of 43 patients who received no advanced bone flap intraoperatively, there were 31 females and 12 males with an age of (63.2±9.4) years. The measures recorded and compared between the 2 groups included osteotomy gap healing rates at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months postoperatively; Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at 6 and 18 months postoperatively; medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) and femorotibial angle at immediate postoperation and 18 months postoperation; postoperative complications.Results:The differences in preoperative general information between the 2 groups were not statistically significant, showing comparability ( P>0.05). The osteotomy gap healing rates at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months postoperatively in group A were significantly higher than those in group B ( P<0.05). The WOMAC (26.1±5.9), VAS (4.1±1.4), and KOOS (47.0±9.7) scores at 6 months postoperatively in group A were significantly lower than those in group B (31.3±8.3, 4.8±1.6, and 56.1±11.9) ( P<0.05), but the differences in the above indicators between the 2 groups at 18 months postoperatively were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in MPTA or femorotibial angle at immediate postoperation between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). At 18 months postoperatively, the MPTA in group A (88.7°±1.1°) was significantly better than that in group B (87.7°±1.5°) ( P<0.05). The total complication rate in group B [27.9% (12/43)] was signifcantly higher than that in group A [2.4% (1/42)]( P<0.05). Conclusions:In the OW-HTO treatment of the patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis and knee inversion, application of an advanced bone flap to fill the osteotomy gap can accelerate the gap healing and reduces occurrence of delayed healing or non-healing of the osteotomy gap.