Age does not affect the clinical and radiological outcomes after open-wedge high tibial osteotomy

Open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) is a well-established procedure in the management of medial compartment osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis of the medial femoral condyle. Several studies have evaluated factors that negatively influence outcomes. However, few reports have investigated the effect of age on HTO outcome. We evaluated the influence of the age on the outcome after HTO. The TomoFix(A (R)) plate was used to perform 60 consecutive OWHTOs. Twenty-six knees in 23 patients > 65 years old (mean age at surgery 68.7 +/- 2.9 years; range 65-75 years, group A) were compared with 34 knees in 27 patients < 65 years old (mean age at surgery 56.2 +/- 7.5 years; range 38-64 years, group B) with respect to the clinical and radiological outcomes after HTO. The clinical evaluation included the Japanese Orthopedic Association Knee Score (JOA score), Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and complications after surgery. There were no statistical differences in the background factors between the two groups. Postoperatively, the mean JOA score showed a significant improvement in both groups. The mean OKS after surgery was 41.6 +/- 5.9 in group A and 41.4 +/- 5.9 in group B. There were no statistical differences in the postoperative knee alignment and clinical outcomes between the two groups. OWHTO using the rigid long plate was an effective procedure independent of patient's age. The results showed that age did not influence the clinical and radiological outcomes after OWHTO.