High tibial osteotomy (HTO) slows medial articular cartilage loss in patients with varus alignment and medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA), compared to nonsurgical management alone.
HTO leads to greater improvements in knee pain and function, as measured by the KOOS (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score).
Clinical benefits were observed at two years, with only a minority of patients requiring further surgical intervention.
Findings support early intervention, especially in younger patients with varus malalignment and less severe OA.
