Abstract
Technique Video
Medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) is carried out under regional or general anesthesia without a pneumatic tourniquet. The patient with right varus knee osteoarthritis with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency is positioned supine on a radiolucent table in the orthopedic theater and subjected to the anterior drawer test immediately after administering the anesthesia. The test is repeated three times using a nonsterilized Rolimeter in 30° knee flexion to apply a manual maximum anterior force to the tibia relative to the femur. The side-to-side difference (SSD) in the anterior translation is calculated as the difference in average anterior laxity between both sides as per the manufacturer’s instructions. After the baseline testing, the affected lower limb and Rolimeter are sterilized, and standard anterolateral and anteromedial portals are made to perform the routine arthroscopic evaluation. The concomitant meniscal and chondral injuries are treated, and an ACL deficiency is diagnosed using probing. Next, a curved oblique skin incision is made extending from the posteromedial corner of the proximal tibia to the insertion site of the pes anserine tendon. The starting point of the first Kirschner wire is approximately 2 cm medial to the medial border of the tibial tuberosity, i.e., the entry point is approximately 4–4.5 cm below the medial joint line. A second K-wire is inserted parallel to the first wire under fluoroscopy. The depth of the saw cut is 5 mm less than the value measured against the wires to leave a lateral bone hinge. It is important to ensure that there is sufficient space cranially for the locking bolts of the plate fixator. After that, an anterior ascending osteotomy is made at an angle of 110° to the horizontal saw cut ending behind the patellar tendon insertion. The width of the tuberosity segment is set to at least 1.5 cm. The horizontal osteotomy is gradually opened to the desired correction angle and the medial tibia is fixed with the TomoFix anatomical medial high tibial plate. To minimize tibial slope alteration, the spreader is placed close to the posterior cortex. The intraoperative mechanical axis of the lower limb is set at 55% and checked using a long alignment rod. After temporary fixation of the medial high tibial plate, a second anterior drawer test for the affected side only is performed using a sterilized Rolimeter. For an SSD <3 mm, ACL reconstruction is not performed; when the SSD is over 3 mm, the ipsilateral semitendinosus tendon and gracilis tendon, if needed, is extracted using a tendon harvester. The harvested graft is trimmed and quadrupled, then connected with a suspensory fixation device and the artificial ligament. After tendon harvesting, the medial high tibial plate is fixed to the tibia using locking screws. Transtibial ACL reconstruction aimed at a femoral bone tunnel created behind the resident’s ridge is performed with a figure-four position so that the femoral bone tunnel is created lower and deeper and the graft is introduced; turn-buckle stapling is done so that the two staples do not interfere with distal locking screws.
Introduction
Surgical Technique
Katagiri H, Nakagawa Y, Miyatake K, et al. Short-term outcomes after high tibial osteotomy aimed at neutral alignment combined with arthroscopic centralization of medial meniscus in osteoarthritis patients. J Knee Surg In press. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1731738.




Takahashi T, Saito T, Kubo T, et al. Evaluation of tibial tunnel location with the femoral tunnel created behind the resident's ridge in transtibial anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Knee Surg In press. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1722568.



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Postoperative Rehabilitation
Discussion
Takahashi T, Saito T, Kubo T, et al. Evaluation of tibial tunnel location with the femoral tunnel created behind the resident's ridge in transtibial anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Knee Surg In press. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1722568.
Supplementary Data
- ICMJE author disclosure forms
- https://www.arthroscopytechniques.org/cms/asset/59f34fd2-2593-4a7f-b775-d552c8160213/mmc2.mp4Loading ...Video 1
Medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) is carried out under regional or general anesthesia without a pneumatic tourniquet. The patient with right varus knee osteoarthritis with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency is positioned supine on a radiolucent table in the orthopedic theater and subjected to the anterior drawer test immediately after administering the anesthesia. The test is repeated three times using a nonsterilized Rolimeter in 30° knee flexion to apply a manual maximum anterior force to the tibia relative to the femur. The side-to-side difference (SSD) in the anterior translation is calculated as the difference in average anterior laxity between both sides as per the manufacturer’s instructions. After the baseline testing, the affected lower limb and Rolimeter are sterilized, and standard anterolateral and anteromedial portals are made to perform the routine arthroscopic evaluation. The concomitant meniscal and chondral injuries are treated, and an ACL deficiency is diagnosed using probing. Next, a curved oblique skin incision is made extending from the posteromedial corner of the proximal tibia to the insertion site of the pes anserine tendon. The starting point of the first Kirschner wire is approximately 2 cm medial to the medial border of the tibial tuberosity, i.e., the entry point is approximately 4–4.5 cm below the medial joint line. A second K-wire is inserted parallel to the first wire under fluoroscopy. The depth of the saw cut is 5 mm less than the value measured against the wires to leave a lateral bone hinge. It is important to ensure that there is sufficient space cranially for the locking bolts of the plate fixator. After that, an anterior ascending osteotomy is made at an angle of 110° to the horizontal saw cut ending behind the patellar tendon insertion. The width of the tuberosity segment is set to at least 1.5 cm. The horizontal osteotomy is gradually opened to the desired correction angle and the medial tibia is fixed with the TomoFix anatomical medial high tibial plate. To minimize tibial slope alteration, the spreader is placed close to the posterior cortex. The intraoperative mechanical axis of the lower limb is set at 55% and checked using a long alignment rod. After temporary fixation of the medial high tibial plate, a second anterior drawer test for the affected side only is performed using a sterilized Rolimeter. For an SSD <3 mm, ACL reconstruction is not performed; when the SSD is over 3 mm, the ipsilateral semitendinosus tendon and gracilis tendon, if needed, is extracted using a tendon harvester. The harvested graft is trimmed and quadrupled, then connected with a suspensory fixation device and the artificial ligament. After tendon harvesting, the medial high tibial plate is fixed to the tibia using locking screws. Transtibial ACL reconstruction aimed at a femoral bone tunnel created behind the resident’s ridge is performed with a figure-four position so that the femoral bone tunnel is created lower and deeper and the graft is introduced; turn-buckle stapling is done so that the two staples do not interfere with distal locking screws.
References
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Katagiri H, Nakagawa Y, Miyatake K, et al. Short-term outcomes after high tibial osteotomy aimed at neutral alignment combined with arthroscopic centralization of medial meniscus in osteoarthritis patients. J Knee Surg In press. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1731738.
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Takahashi T, Saito T, Kubo T, et al. Evaluation of tibial tunnel location with the femoral tunnel created behind the resident's ridge in transtibial anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Knee Surg In press. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1722568.
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