To explore the short-term effectiveness of arthroscopic combined with high tibial osteotomy to treat degenerative tears of the medial meniscus with varus deformity of knee joint.

A retrospective study was performed on 26 patients with degenerative tears of the medial meniscus with varus deformity of knee joint who underwent arthroscopic combined with high tibial osteotomy that received in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2014 to January 2015. There were 18 males (18 knees) and 8 females (8 knees), aged 43-58 years (mean, 49±6 years). All the patients were degenerative tears of the medial meniscus combined with varus deformity of knee joint. All patients underwent high tibial osteotomy, and the partial menisectomy was adjusted to relieve pain. Evaluated the position of weight bearing line, femoral tibial angle and posterior tibial slope. The Lysholm scores, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score, and Tegner knee activity (Tegner) score were used to estimate knee joint function, while the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were used to estimate the efficacy.

Twenty-six patients in this group were all followed up, and the follow up time was 1.0-2.8 years, average (1.6±0.5) years. No complications of infection, deep vein thrombosis, nonunion or delayed union was observed. The weight bearing line was corrected from (21.3±3.8)% preopera tively to (59.5±1.7)% postoperatively. The femoraltibial angle was (172±4)° preoperatively and improved to (179±4)° postoperatively, and the differences were all statistically significant (t=14.257, P<0.05; t=10.572, P<0.05). The tibial slope was increased from (7.5±2.2)° preoperatively to (7.9±1.9)° postoperatively, showing no significant differences (t=1.628, P>0.05). At last follow-up, Lysholm score, HSS score, Tegner score, and VAS were significantly improved than preoperative ones, showing significant differences (t=7.684, P<0.05; t=16.521, P<0.05; t=6.284, P<0.05; t=12.359, P<0.05).

Arthroscopic combined with high tibial osteotomy to treat degenerative tears of the medial meniscus with varus deformity of knee joint can significantly improve the alignment of lower extremity and relieve pain, and can get a good short term efficacy.