A new article from the American Journal of Sports Medicine demonstrates that a proximal tibial medial opening wedge osteotomy decreased varus and external rotation laxity for posterolateral corner–deficient knees.
To test the hypothesis that static varus and external rotatory stability would be significantly improved in a knee with a grade 3 posterolateral knee injury after a proximal tibial medial opening wedge osteotomy, biomechanical testing of 10 cadaver knees was performed. Testing was performed in the intact state after transection of the posterolateral corner (fibular collateral ligament, popliteus tendon, and popliteofibular ligament) and after a 10-mm proximal tibial medial opening wedge osteotomy. Loading conditions consisted of 12 N⋅m varus moments and 6 N⋅m external rotation torques.
After the transection, it was found an increase in varus on close to 6° regardless of flexion angle. However, the varus angle was significantly reduced after osteotomy. Compared to the initial state, the varus angle was increased by less than 2°. Also the external rotation angle was significantly decreased.
The authors were Robert F. LaPrade, Lars Engebretsen, Steinar Johansen, Fred A. Wentorf and Chad Kurtenbach.
Read the article here.