A clinical study on management of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis by proximal fibular osteotomy

Abstract

Background:Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a cause of considerable pain and disability in the affected individuals. Proximal Fibular Osteotomy is a straightforward and comparatively new surgery that results in pain relief and maintenance of joint space in osteoarthritis. It is a day care procedure that helps in realigning the knee joint and may result in delay of knee replacement by a decade or in some cases even longer. Materials and Methods: 20 adult patients (25 knees) with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis admitted in Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) and treated with Proximal Fibular Osteotomy between June 2018 to May 2019 were included. Preoperative and postoperative weight bearing radiographs are taken to evaluate the medial joint space. Visual Analogue Score and American Knee Society Score were used to assess knee pain and knee ambulation activities, respectively. Results: It was observed that all patients experienced pain relief following proximal fibular osteotomy. Weight bearing lower extremity radiographs showed an average increase in the postoperative medial joint space. Additionally, correction of lower limb alignment was observed in eight patients. Conclusion: Proximal Fibular Osteotomy is a simple, cost effective procedure which significantly reduces knee pain and improves joint function in medial compartment knee osteoarthritis.