Return to work and sporting activities after high tibial osteotomy

Purpose High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a commonly used treatment to correct varus malalignment of the knee. The purpose of this study was, first, to determine, whether HTO allows return to pre-operative work, depending on the amount of work load. Second, the restoration of sports ability and a difference in sports activities pre- to postoperative should be analyzed. Methods and patients Fifty-one patients were included in this study. Patients were divided into three groups dependent on work intensity. Sporting activity was evaluated by an activity score (Naal). Clinical examination includes Tegner-score, Lysholm-score and visual analog pain scale. General health was assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Survey questionnaire. Results On an average of 16.7 +/- 15.6 weeks after surgery patients returned to work, and 93.8 % of the patients returned to pre-operative work load. The Tegner activity score did not show significant changes pre- and postoperatively. At the time of survey Lysholm score reached a value of 68.7 +/- 23.9 points on average. Postoperatively, patients remarked on decreased pain by VAS by an average of 2.6 +/- 2.3 points. Conclusions In total, 92.3 % returned to pre-operative sports activities after surgery. A shift away from high impact activities to lower impact activities, a significant decrease of the duration of sports activities and number of sports disciplines was detected. In summary, HTO allows the young, active patient with medial osteoarthritis of the knee to return to work with the same work intensity and to return to sports.