New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery is revitalizing knee osteotomy, a historic procedure to help some patients avoid knee replacement.
The procedure, developed in the late 19th century and used to correct bowleg deformity and delay knee replacement, is seeing renewed use with CT-based planning and patient-specific instrumentation, according to a July 17 news report.
With it, HSS has seen high patient satisfaction, fewer complications and improved long-term function, particularly in younger patients who face higher risks with knee replacement.
“The development of new technologies, such as digital software planning, advanced CT imaging, and other patient-specific tools, is enabling us to resolve patients’ knee pain and preserve their knee function for a longer period of time,” Anil Ranawat, MD, chief of HSS’s hip and knee division, said in the release. “This modern evolution of an old operation has helped us tailor these procedures so that they are done in the safest, most precise way possible.”
