Lateral epicondylar osteotomy for severe varus deformity during total knee arthroplasty.

In most cases of arthritic varus knees, stepwise osteophytes removal and medial soft tissue release could achieve satisfactory soft tissue balance during total knee arthroplasty. However, in some severe cases, conventional balancing techniques are not enough, necessitating other procedures like epicondylar osteotomy. To the best of our knowledge, no published article has reported the application of lateral epicondylar osteotomy in a severe varus knee. Here we reported a case of successful correction of a severe varus knee following lateral epicondylar osteotomy, and described its underlying rationale.