Introducing prospective national registration of knee osteotomies. A report from the first year in Sweden.

PURPOSE

Knee osteotomy is a joint preserving surgery with new techniques and implants introduced during recent years. However the information of its use and outcome is scarce. A national knee osteotomy register was started in Sweden in 2013 from which we report here the information gathered during the first year of registration.

METHODS

All patients having knee osteotomy (distal femur and proximal tibia), primaries and re-operations are intended to be included in the prospective registration. Reporting to the register is based on a paper form including information on the patient (ID, sex, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification [ASA], weight and height) surgical date, hospital, diagnosis, pre-operative alignment and grade of osteoarthritis (OA), part and LOT numbers of implants, surgical technique, prophylaxis (antithrombotic and antibiotic) and operating time.

RESULTS

During the first year (April 2013 to March 2014), 34 clinics reported 220 primary knee osteotomies (209 proximal tibia and 11 distal femur). We estimate that this represents almost 80% of those performed on the adult population during the period. The majority of the patients were classified as healthy (60% ASA grade 1), were men (66%) and the median age was 51 years (range 19-67). Proximal tibia osteotomy for OA performed with open wedge osteotomy using internal fixation without bone transplantation was most commonly reported.

CONCLUSIONS

As relatively few patients are being treated with different types of fixation and bone substitution in Sweden as well as the rapid development of techniques and new implants, a nationwide registration of knee osteotomies is relevant.