A distal femoral osteotomy is a surgical procedure to cut and realign the lower end of the femur bone, in order to change the forces going through the one side of the joint.
Indications for distal femoral osteotomy
The procedure is usually done to correct a valgus (knock-knee) deformity, but may be part of a double-level osteotomy in combination with a high tibial osteotomy. The procedure may also be done to relieve pressure on the cartilage on one side, for example if a cartilage repair procedure has been performed.
Distal femoral osteotomy is usually of the closing wedge variety, where a wedge of bone is removed and the space closed and held in place with screws until the bone unites across the gap. The 'hardware' is generally eventually removed once the bone is fully reunited.
CLINICAL PUBLICATIONS
Medial Closing-Wedge Distal Femoral Osteotomy for Genu Valgum With Lateral Compartment Disease. Wylie JD and Maak TG. Arthrosc Tech. 2016 Dec; 5(6): e1357–e1366.
Distal Femoral Osteotomy: Lateral Opening Wedge Technique. O'Malley MP, Pareek A, Reardon PJ, Stuart MJ and Krych AJ. Arthrosc Tech. 2016 Aug; 5(4): e725–e730.
