Usually, our legs are straight from our hips to our ankles. Some patients may develop a “knock-knee” or “bow-leg” deformity over time. This is referred to as knee malalignment.

When the bones do not align properly, joint forces are not evenly distributed and may overload one side causing pain and possibly deterioration. An osteotomy is a cut in the femur or tibia bone to realign the leg to a straight leg. The cut in the bone is then typically fixed with a plate and screws.

After healing, the bones are in a new position and force (weight) is shifted from the overloaded or damaged side to the more normal or underloaded side of the joint. Osteotomies have gained wide acceptance for treatment in younger or athletic patients with mild-moderate arthritis on one side of a malaligned knee joint.