Featured Research Highlight

London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute & Western University — Media Release (July 29, 2025)

Surgical Procedure Slows Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis

We are pleased to present a summary of a groundbreaking clinical trial led by our team at the London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) in collaboration with Western University.

Background & Objective:
This study evaluated the effect of medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO)—a limb realignment surgery—on slowing the progression of knee osteoarthritis in patients with varus alignment (bowed legs).

Study Design:
A randomized controlled trial with an additional parallel preference arm. Participants received either HTO plus nonsurgical management or nonsurgical management alone, with outcomes measured over two years using gait analysis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and patient-reported knee function scores.

Key Findings:

• Patients undergoing HTO experienced approximately 2% loss of medial tibiofemoral articular cartilage, compared to 9% cartilage loss in the nonsurgical group.
• The HTO group reported significantly greater improvements in pain and function via the KOOS metric (approximately +16 points difference over controls).

Conclusions:
High tibial osteotomy demonstrates potential to alter the course of knee osteoarthritis by reducing structural joint damage and improving patient outcomes—marking a milestone in disease-modifying treatment for this condition.

Source & Attribution:
This research is featured in a media release published on July 29, 2025 by the London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute.

🔗 Read the full press release: Surgical procedure slows progression of knee osteoarthritis

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