Arthroscopy prior to osteotomy around the knee?

Introduction Osteotomy around the knee is well established in orthopaedic surgery in cases of congenital/post-traumatic leg deformities with mono-compartment osteoarthritis of the knee. However. there is no consensus whether there should be an arthroscopy prior to osteotomy in the same operative session, either for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons. Patients and methods This prospective study included 340 cases of osteotomy around the knee with a routine arthroscopy. During arthroscopy indication for osteotomy was checked first. Then cartilage status was determined to modify type and degree of correction osteotomy accordingly. Finally therapeutic procedures were performed in cases of intraarticular pathologies. Results Indication was rejected in 47 cases with ten patients receiving endoprosthetic treatment. In 157 cases the degree of correction was modified, in eleven cases the level of osteotomy. Under the 330 non-endoprothetic sessions there were 316 arthroscopies with therapeutic treatments. Conclusion This study could demonstrate that arthroscopy in the same session is indispensable, to check the indication for osteotomy, to modify type and degree of correction according to cartilage status and to perform therapeutic procedures.