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Knee osteotomy (also known as high tibial osteotomy or femoral osteotomy) is a type of surgical knee pain treatment in which the bone(s) on either side of the knee are reshaped to alleviate pressure on your joint. This type of knee surgery can treat early-stage osteoarthritis, minimising the need for a knee replacement. Find out more about the knee osteotomy procedure at Harley Street Specialist Hospital below.
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At Harley Street Specialist Hospital, we work exclusively with experienced, skilled surgeons to carry out specialist procedures like knee osteotomy. With the highest standards of patient care, comfort, and safety, we’re trusted by hundreds of privately insured and self-paying patients every year to help them get back on their feet after injury or degenerative orthopaedic conditions.
Our central London hospital offers convenience and comfort. We’re easy to reach, and thanks to our no waiting lists policy, you can get fast assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, setting you on a rapid road to recovery.
Each Harley Street Specialist Hospital patient receives a bespoke treatment plan to tackle your individual symptoms. We believe this is the best way to ensure all our patients leave our care feeling healthy.
With several knee pain treatments available — including non-surgical options as well as knee osteotomy, knee arthroscopy, and knee replacement — you can get back to your normal, pain-free life as soon as possible. Book an appointment at a time that suits you to get started.
Knee osteotomy is a procedure that involves surgically reshaping your femur (thighbone) and/or tibia (shinbone) to relieve painful pressure on your knee caused by arthritis, knee alignment issues, or degenerative joint conditions. Slight modifications to these bones can change your body’s weight distribution, putting less pressure on the affected side of your knee joint and improving alignment. This allows you to get back to your daily activities without pain.
Knee osteotomy is mostly recommended if just one side of your knee is affected by arthritis. Alternative treatments may be more suitable if both sides of the joint are damaged.
Knee osteotomy can be performed as a day-case procedure, though some patients may need a short hospital stay. Find out about how femoral and high tibial osteotomy surgery work:
1. Assessment and diagnosis — Your consultant team will conduct diagnostic imaging tests to confirm if knee osteotomy is the right treatment for you.
2. Choosing your anaesthetic — Knee osteotomy is performed under general anaesthetic (you’ll be asleep during the procedure) or a spinal block (you’re awake during the procedure but unable to feel anything from the waist down).
3. Arthroscopy — Your surgeon may use a small camera to assess the damage on both sides of your knee and check if an osteotomy is suitable.
4. Osteotomy — Your surgeon makes a small incision to access the bone, then releases any surrounding tissue as needed. They’ll then remove a small amount of bone to relieve pressure on your knee joint.
5. Corrective plate insertion — The surgeon will implant a small plate into your knee to correct and maintain your new leg alignment. This plate is designed to hold your body weight and is kept in place with surgical screws.
6. Recovery — After the surgery, our team will monitor you in hospital for a few hours (or overnight if needed).
7. Brace fitting — Instead of a cast, you’ll have a knee brace fitted after surgery. This allows you to bend and flex your knee to improve strength.
After a short monitoring period, you’ll be able to go home to recover from your knee surgery. You’ll need to keep the weight off your leg as much as possible for a couple of weeks while the bone heals, but can soon resume your normal activities.
Osteotomy is a straightforward procedure for our experienced surgeons. Find out more about the process and recovery times in these frequently asked questions.
Knee osteotomy is mostly used to treat damage caused by osteoarthritis. This degenerative knee condition leads to pain and swelling around your knee joint. If you seek treatment while just one side of the knee is affected, a knee osteotomy can often help.
Other conditions a high tibial or femoral osteotomy can treat include:
If knee osteotomy isn’t right for you, other types of knee surgery (such as a knee replacement) may be recommended.
We expect most patients to be pain-free and back to normal around six months after a knee osteotomy. However, you can expect significant pain relief much sooner than this (usually no more than two months after your procedure).
Most patients need crutches for around 6-12 weeks after a knee osteotomy. But with the right support from our private physiotherapy team, you can minimise your recovery time.
It depends on your recovery rate and the nature of your job. Many people with desk jobs return to work within 4-6 weeks, while 10-12 weeks is more common if you have a physically demanding job.
When you return to work, we recommend that you speak to your employer to ensure your duties don’t impact your recovery.
Knee osteotomy has high success rates. Studies have shown that a high tibial osteotomy can help the original knee joint stay intact for ten years in 71% to 98% of patients and 15 years in 61% to 90%. So, a knee osteotomy will likely give you many years of pain-free activity.
A knee osteotomy is a major surgery, but it’s less invasive and requires less downtime than a full or partial knee replacement.
The earlier you seek treatment, the less likely you are to require major surgery like knee osteotomy or knee replacement.
Experience a different kind of healthcare, fully tailored to your needs. Contact us today and discover the most effective knee osteotomy treatment plan, devised by our world-class surgical team just for you.
Spread the cost of your medical treatment over several months with our finance options and medical payment plans. This is ideal for patients seeking the speed and comfort of private healthcare without significant upfront payments.
Use our self-payment options to get prompt care with the consultant of your choice. Patients looking for fast, efficient treatment without private health insurance are welcome to pay for treatment before their procedure.
We welcome patients with private medical insurance from approved insurers, including Bupa, AXA, Aviva, and many more. Find out how to claim for your treatment with private health insurance to get optimum care and comfort.
Find out more about these surgical knee repair procedures below.
Femoral and high tibial osteotomy are both types of knee osteotomy. Femoral osteotomy involves reshaping the femur (thighbone), while high tibial osteotomy involves reshaping the tibia (shinbone).
In some cases, both bones may need to be altered to relieve pressure on the knee.
Anaesthetic ensures you don’t feel anything during the knee osteotomy procedure itself. However, when the anaesthetic wears off, you will feel some discomfort in your leg for a few weeks. Most patients manage this with over-the-counter painkillers (or occasionally prescription pain medication).
A knee osteotomy can provide substantial pain relief and long-term mobility for 10-15 years. At this point, you may need to seek other treatments to give you more sustained results.
While knee replacements and osteotomies can treat similar symptoms, they’re usually used in different situations. So it’s not a case of which is better but more suitable for you.
A knee osteotomy can delay or (in limited cases) prevent the need for a knee replacement. So, it’s more likely to be recommended for younger patients and those with a more active lifestyle.
Knee replacements usually offer more definitive pain relief and long-term comfort, but you’ll have more limited mobility. They’re more likely to be suggested if you have substantial damage across both sides of the knee joint.
Both knee osteotomies and knee replacements are carried out under anaesthetic, so there’s no pain during either procedure.
Osteotomy recovery is often more painful than knee replacement recovery in the short-term, but offers greater activity levels in the long run. Osteotomies are recommended for younger, more active patients.
Harley Street Specialist Hospital offers same-day assessment and diagnosis so you can tackle your knee pain as quickly as possible. With expert consultations, doctors, and surgeons on hand to review your condition, we’ll help you get back to a confident, pain-free life.
With no waiting lists and a comfortable central London location, you’ll get fast, convenient care at a time that suits you. Book an appointment with our consultants to discuss your knee pain treatment.
