Introducing prospective national registration of knee osteotomies. A report from the first year in Sweden.

PURPOSE: Knee osteotomy is a joint preserving surgery with new techniques and implants introduced during recent years. However the information of its use and outcome is scarce. A national knee osteotomy register was started in Sweden in 2013 from which we report here the information gathered during the first year of registration.
METHODS: All patients having knee osteotomy (distal femur and proximal tibia), primaries and re-operations are intended to be included in the prospective registration. Reporting to the register is based on a paper form including information on the patient (ID, sex, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification [ASA], weight and height) surgical date, hospital, diagnosis, pre-operative alignment and grade of osteoarthritis (OA), part and LOT numbers of implants, surgical technique, prophylaxis (antithrombotic and antibiotic) and operating time.
RESULTS: During the first year (April 2013 to March 2014), 34 clinics reported 220 primary knee osteotomies (209 proximal tibia and 11 distal femur). We estimate that this represents almost 80% of those performed on the adult population during the period. The majority of the patients were classified as healthy (60% ASA grade 1), were men (66%) and the median age was 51 years (range 19-67). Proximal tibia osteotomy for OA performed with open wedge osteotomy using internal fixation without bone transplantation was most commonly reported.
CONCLUSIONS: As relatively few patients are being treated with different types of fixation and bone substitution in Sweden as well as the rapid development of techniques and new implants, a nationwide registration of knee osteotomies is relevant.