Minimally Invasive Anterior Closing–wedge Osteotomy for Posterior Tibial Slope Correction: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of performing a new minimally invasive technique for anterior closing–wedge high tibial osteotomy. Our hypothesis was that we would be able to successfully perform the minimally invasive osteotomy with consistent correction of the posterior tibial slope. Materials and Methods: Five lower limbs from cadaveric unidentified donors were obtained. Fluoroscopic imaging of the knee was obtained to determine the baseline tibial slope. A standard anterior closing–wedge osteotomy was planned to obtain the desired correction. The anterior bony segment was resected from the proximal tibia utilizing the Shannon burr under fluoroscopic guidance through a 2 cm medial incision. Fixation was completed with 2 staples positioned medial and lateral to the tibial tubercle. Results: The average posterior tibial slope of the 5 specimens was 8 degrees (SD: 2.3, range: 6 to 12). The average final posterior tibial was 1.8 degrees (SD: 2.1, range: −1 to 5). The average slope correction was 6.2 degrees (SD: 0.7, range: 5 to 7). Posterior tibial cortical fracture did not occur in any of the cases. Conclusions: Our novel minimally invasive anterior closing–wedge high tibial osteotomy technique resulted in a reproducible correction of posterior tibial slope in a cadaveric model. This is the first study to describe a minimally invasive technique for anterior closing–wedge high tibial osteotomy. Larger cadaveric studies including multiple surgeons across institutions are warranted to validate the described technique between providers. Level of Evidence: Level IV—Controlled laboratory study