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.
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Distal femoral osteotomy in a young man to relieve pressure on an osteochondral defect. |
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.
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.
