Results of surgical treatment for non-union after high tibial osteotomy in osteoarthritis of the knee.

In a series of 280 high tibial osteotomies performed for osteoarthritis of the knee between 1969 and 1975, there were ten cases of pseudarthrosis, an incidence of 3.6 per cent. These ten knees (and an additional two that were referred to us) were reoperated on. In most cases the pseudarthrosis was resected and stabilized with the Charnley transfixation-compression method. Other procedures involved resection without compression (one knee), compression blade-plate fixation, and arthroplasty with a hinge endoprosthesis. All osteotomies healed eventually with the knee in satisfactory position. In spite of the initial non-union and repeated operation, all twelve patients eventually had satisfactory correction of the preosteotomy deformity, and none had a loss in walking ability. All but two patients had freedom from pain. We concluded that patients with non-union following high tibial osteotomy for osteoarthritis of the knee should undergo resection of the pseudarthrosis and transfixation compression as the treatment of choice. Endoprosthetic replacement then can be used as a salvage procedure if it is needed.