Corrective osteotomy of the distal femur with fixator assistance: A novel technique of minimally invasive osteosynthesis

Purpose Varus or valgus deformity of the distal femur may progress into knee osteoarthritis. To delay or prevent this, various types of corrective osteotomy techniques have been used to shift the mechanical axis from the diseased compartment to the healthy one. We introduced a new, minimally invasive osteotomy of the distal femur with the assistance of temporary external fixation. Methods We retrospectively studied 25 legs that underwent open-wedge osteotomy of the distal femur, involving insertion of a Schanz pin at the medial femoral condyle and another pin at the distal diaphysis of the femur. At the meta-diaphyseal junction, osteotomy was performed. After achieving angular correction, two pins were locked for temporary external fixation and a locking plate was fixed at the lateral side of the femur submuscularly. Radiological and functional outcomes were evaluated, including mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (m-LDFA), mechanical axis deviation, tibiofemoral angle, osseous union, and knee joint motion. Results The minimum follow-up was 12 months (mean, 39 months; range, 12–88 months). Bone healing occurred in all legs, with an average of 16.6 weeks. The m-LDFA was corrected from 77.7° (18 valgus) and 104.6° (7 varus) to 88.1° after surgery, with an average correction of 12.9°. At the final follow-up, the mechanical axis deviation averaged 7.6 mm and the tibia-femoral angle averaged 5.6°. Most of legs (88%) achieved acceptable m-LDFA (87° ± 3°). Conclusions A new, minimally invasive osteotomy of the distal femur offers excellent bone healing with few complications, attributable to preserved blood supply.