Bedeutung von Osteotomien in der Knorpel- und Meniskuschirurgie

Coronal malalignment of the lower extremities is a relevant risk factor for the development and progression of degenerative disorders in the knee joint. While this has been known for many years with respect to unicompartmental osteoarthritis, more recent studies have also shown a clear association with meniscal injuries and focal cartilage lesions. Accordingly, the indications for osteotomy to correct alignment has been extended beyond osteoarthritis to include meniscal and cartilage surgery. In combination with regenerative cartilage surgery there is already good scientific evidence for both the indications for osteotomy and the extent of the correction. Regarding meniscal surgery, root lesions of the medial meniscus are particularly well studied. In this context, correction of a concomitant varus alignment has proven to be particularly beneficial.