Surgical planning in HTO – alternative approaches to the Fujisawa gold-standard

Abstract

Background Presurgical planning of the correction angle plays a decisive role in a high tibial osteotomy, affecting the loading situation in the knee affected by osteoarthritis. The planning approach by Fujisawa et al. aims to adjust the weight-bearing line to achieve an optimal knee joint load distribution. While this method is accessible, it may not fully consider the complexity of individual dynamic knee-loading profiles. This review aims to disclose existing alternative HTO planning methods that do not follow Fujisawa's standard. Methods PubMed, Web of Science and CENTRAL databases were screened, focusing on HTO research in combination with alternative planning approaches. Results Eight out of 828 studies were included, with seven simulation studies based on finite element analysis and multi-body dynamics. The planning approaches incorporated gradual degrees of realignment parameters (weight-bearing line shift, medial proximal tibial angle, hip-knee-ankle, knee joint line orientation), simulating their effect on knee kinematics, contact force/stress, Von Mises and shear stress. Two studies proposed implementing individual correction magnitudes derived from preoperatively predicted knee adduction moments. Conclusion Most planning methods depend on static alignment assessments, neglecting an adequate loading-depending profile. They are confined to their conceptual phases, making the associated planning methods unviable for current clinical use.