Osteotomy and Paget's Disease

Topic Overview

Osteotomy ("bone cutting") is a procedure in which a surgeon removes, or sometimes adds, a wedge of bone near a damaged joint. This shifts weight from an area where there is deformed or damaged bone to an area where there is more or healthier bone. In Paget's disease, bone tissue breakdown and rebuilding frequently occurs in the long bones, such as the leg bones. This often results in a bowlegged appearance.

Osteotomy may be effective for hip and knee joints. An osteotomy is often done to try to correct bowleg (varus) and knock-knee (valgus) deformities of the knees. Hip osteotomy involves removing bone from the upper thigh bone (femur). Osteotomy may allow an active person to postpone a total joint replacement for a few years and usually is reserved for younger people.

After an osteotomy, you may need physiotherapy. It may take up to one year for the joint to fully adjust to its corrected position.