High Tibial Osteotomy and Retuning to Impact Sports: New Study says Maybe

By Chris Centeno, MD /

Receive a Regenexx® Patient Info Packet by email and learn why it's a superior regenerative solution.

high tibial osteotomy return to activityI’ve blogged previously on high tibial osteotomy (HTO) knee surgery and MRI studies showing that the surgery does take pressure off overstressed cartilage (at least in some patients who are bow legged or knock kneed). This invasive knee surgery involves sawing a wedge of bone out of one side of the tibia to allow the knee to be straight again. Usually plates and screws are inserted to hold it all in place (see picture above). However, can you return to physical activities if you have a knee HTO surgery? Can you return to running, hiking, or skiing despite a prolonged recovery time due to tibial osteotomy surgery? A recent study sought to find this out by looking at 41 women and 98 men with a mean age of 59 years who were 4 years post tibial osteotomy surgery. The study is retrospective (looking backward) so it’s not as good as a prospective study (looking forward). 63% of the patients felt like their knee was “normal” after tibial osteotomy surgery, but 62% of patients still felt that their activities were limited by their knee (for example I don’t run at all or as much because of pain). Among patients younger than 75 years, only 28% were participating in regular sports after HTO knee surgery-a fairly low number, but one that could be impacted by pre surgery cartilage damage. To determine who really wanted to return to sports versus who didn’t, the researchers separated their patients into those who were motivated to return to high levels activities such as running, hiking, skiing, etc.. and those who weren’t motivated. Of the “motivated” patients, about 2/3rd’s did return to sports. While the quality of the data is much less than high level, it does suggest that if you’re motivated to return to impact activities after a tibial osteotomy, it’s more likely than not that you will return to sports. However, most patients still feel that their knee limits their activities despite having a high tibial osteotomy, so you may be competing with some pain. The upshot? HTO knee surgery looks like it may be a useful adjunct to get some patients back to high levels of activity, with a few caveats. However, it should be noted that this is an invasive surgery that should only be considered if there’s a significant side bend to the knee (knock kneed or bow legged).

Category: Knee, Latest News

Chris Centeno, MD

Regenexx Founder

Chris Centeno, MD is a specialist in regenerative medicine and the new field of Interventional Orthopedics. Centeno pioneered orthopedic stem cell procedures in 2005 and is responsible for a large amount of the published research on stem cell use for orthopedic applications.
View Profile

Get Blog Updates by Email

Get fresh updates and insights from Regenexx delivered straight to your inbox.

Can A Torn Rotator Cuff Heal On Its Own Without Surgery?

Are you wondering, "Can a torn rotator cuff heal on its own without surgery?" This…
by Chris Centeno, MD

Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy for Knees

You may have gone to, or are planning to go to, a local Seminar to…
by Chris Centeno, MD

The Regenexx-C Procedure 11 Years Down the Road

Blog readers, as you know, these days I tend to only blog on those results…
by Chris Centeno, MD

What is Exosome Therapy?

You've probably seen that one of the hottest areas of regenerative medicine treatment right now…
by Chris Centeno, MD
 Visit the Blog
Regenerative procedures are commonly used to treat musculoskelatal trauma, overuse injuries, and degenerative issues, including failed surgeries.
Select Your Problem Area
Shoulder

Shoulder

Many Shoulder and Rotator Cuff injuries are good candidates for regenerative treatments. Before considering shoulder arthroscopy or shoulder replacement, consider an evaluation of your condition with a regenerative treatment specialist.

  • Rotator Cuff Tears and Tendinitis
  • Shoulder Instability
  • SLAP Tear / Labral Tears
  • Shoulder Arthritis
  • Other Degenerative Conditions & Overuse Injuries
Learn More
Cervical Spine

Spine

Many spine injuries and degenerative conditions are good candidates for regenerative treatments and there are a number of studies showing promising results in treating a wide range of spine problems. Spine surgery should be a last resort for anyone, due to the cascade of negative effects it can have on the areas surrounding the surgery. And epidural steroid injections are problematic due to their long-term negative impact on bone density.

  • Herniated, Bulging, Protruding Discs
  • Degenerative Disc Disease
  • SI Joint Syndrome
  • Sciatica
  • Pinched Nerves and General Back Pain
  • And more
Learn More
Knee

Knees

Knees are the target of many common sports injuries. Sadly, they are also the target of a number of surgeries that research has frequently shown to be ineffective or minimally effective. Knee arthritis can also be a common cause for aging athletes to abandon the sports and activities they love. Regenerative procedures can be used to treat a wide range of knee injuries and conditions. They can even be used to reduce pain and delay knee replacement for more severe arthritis.

  • Knee Meniscus Tears
  • Knee ACL Tears
  • Knee Instability
  • Knee Osteoarthritis
  • Other Knee Ligaments / Tendons & Overuse Injuries
  • And more
Learn More
Lower Spine

Spine

Many spine injuries and degenerative conditions are good candidates for regenerative treatments and there are a number of studies showing promising results in treating a wide range of spine problems. Spine surgery should be a last resort for anyone, due to the cascade of negative effects it can have on the areas surrounding the surgery. And epidural steroid injections are problematic due to their long-term negative impact on bone density.

  • Herniated, Bulging, Protruding Discs
  • Degenerative Disc Disease
  • SI Joint Syndrome
  • Sciatica
  • Pinched Nerves and General Back Pain
  • And more
Learn More
Hand & Wrist

Hand & Wrist

Hand and wrist injuries and arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and conditions relating to overuse of the thumb, are good candidates for regenerative treatments. Before considering surgery, consider an evaluation of your condition with a regenerative treatment specialist.
  • Hand and Wrist Arthritis
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Trigger Finger
  • Thumb Arthritis (Basal Joint, CMC, Gamer’s Thumb, Texting Thumb)
  • Other conditions that cause pain
Learn More
Elbow

Elbow

Most injuries of the elbow’s tendons and ligaments, as well as arthritis, can be treated non-surgically with regenerative procedures.

  • Golfer’s elbow & Tennis elbow
  • Arthritis
  • Ulnar collateral ligament wear (common in baseball pitchers)
  • And more
Learn More
Hip

Hip

Hip injuries and degenerative conditions become more common with age. Do to the nature of the joint, it’s not quite as easy to injure as a knee, but it can take a beating and pain often develops over time. Whether a hip condition is acute or degenerative, regenerative procedures can help reduce pain and may help heal injured tissue, without the complications of invasive surgical hip procedures.

  • Labral Tear
  • Hip Arthritis
  • Hip Bursitis
  • Hip Sprain, Tendonitis or Inflammation
  • Hip Instability
Learn More
Foot & Ankle

Foot & Ankle

Foot and ankle injuries are common in athletes. These injuries can often benefit from non-surgical regenerative treatments. Before considering surgery, consider an evaluation of your condition with a regenerative treatment specialist.
  • Ankle Arthritis
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Ligament sprains or tears
  • Other conditions that cause pain
Learn More

Is Regenexx Right For You?

Request a free Regenexx Info Packet

REGENEXX WEBINARS

Learn about the #1 Stem Cell & Platelet Procedures for treating arthritis, common joint injuries & spine pain.

Join a Webinar

RECEIVE BLOG ARTICLES BY EMAIL

Get fresh updates and insights from Regenexx delivered straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to the Blog

FOLLOW US

Copyright © Regenexx 2019. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy

*DISCLAIMER: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx® Procedures have a success and failure rate. Patient reviews and testimonials on this site should not be interpreted as a statement on the effectiveness of our treatments for anyone else.

Providers listed on the Regenexx website are for informational purposes only and are not a recommendation from Regenexx for a specific provider or a guarantee of the outcome of any treatment you receive.