A Systematic Review of the Management of Knee Osteoarthritis by Proximal Fibular Osteotomy in the Indian Population

TL;DR

This review evaluates the effectiveness of proximal fibular osteotomy for knee osteoarthritis in India, finding it improves pain and function in patients with specific knee issues.

Contribution

The study is the first systematic review focusing on PFO for knee osteoarthritis specifically in the Indian population.

Findings

PFO improved pain, knee function, and radiological outcomes in Indian patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis.

Improvements from PFO were generally sustained over several months to a year.

Study limitations include variations in design and small sample sizes, calling for more extensive research.

Abstract

This systematic review aims to assess the management of knee osteoarthritis through proximal fibular osteotomy (PFO) in the Indian population by synthesizing data from various prospective cohort and interventional studies. We seek to provide an overview of the effectiveness and safety of PFO as a treatment modality and offer insights into its potential implications for clinical practice in India. A systematic search strategy was employed, targeting multiple medical databases to identify relevant studies published from 2018 to 2023. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies involving Indian patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis and varus deformity who underwent PFO. Data were extracted and evaluated according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies. Eight studies were included in this review, each displaying varying designs, patient populations, and follow-up duration. The findings consistently indicated that PFO improved pain, knee function, and radiological outcomes, such as knee joint space and tibio-femoral angles. These improvements were generally sustained over several months to a year. The available evidence underscores the potential of PFO as a promising intervention for managing knee osteoarthritis in the Indian population, particularly in patients with medial compartment involvement and varus deformity. While these results are promising, the limitations inherent in the current literature, including study design variations and small sample sizes, necessitate further research with more extensive and diverse patient populations. This systematic review provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals and researchers, highlighting the need for more rigorous investigations and supporting the consideration of PFO as a viable treatment option for knee osteoarthritis in India.

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