DO MALES REALLY HAVE A BETTER OUTCOME THAN FEMALES FOLLOWING HIGH TIBIAL OSTEOTOMY? A COHORT STUDY

Abstract

To examine the effect of gender on outcome of high tibial osteotomy (HTO) for varus gonarthrosis at a minimum two year follow-up

Sixty-five patients (twenty-four female and forty-one male) participated in this investigation. Mean age at the time of surgery was fifty-five years and mean time to follow-up was 54.83 months. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate the strength of the association between post-operative WOMAC osteoarthritis index scores and the independent variables of gender, age, BMI, time (months from surgery) and pre and post operative mechanical axis angles (MAA) measured on standing double-leg hip-to-ankle radiographs.

This analysis revealed that none of the independent variables contributed significantly to the WOMAC outcome scores.

The results of this study indicate that gender is not a significant predictor of outome following medial opening wedge HTO. This is contrary to the view held by many.