Knee osteotomy is surgery that removes a part of the bone of the
joint of either the bottom of the femur (upper leg bone) or the
top of the tibia (lower leg bone) to increase the stability of
the knee. Osteotomy redistributes the weight-bearing force on
the knee by cutting a wedge of bone away to reposition the knee.
The angle of deformity in the knee dictates whether the surgery
is to correct a knee that angles inward, known as a varus
procedure, or one that angles outward, called a valgus
procedure. Varus osteotomy involves the medial (inner) section
of the knee at the top of the tibia. Valgus osteotomy involves
the lateral (outer) compartment of the knee by shaping the
bottom of the femur. Osteotomy surgery changes the alignment of
the knee so that the weight-bearing part of the knee is shifted
off diseased or deformed cartilage to healthier tissue in order
to relieve pain and increase knee stability. Osteotomy is
effective for patients with arthritis in one compartment of the
knee. The medial compartment