Calculation of the opening wedge for a low tibial osteotomy.

Background: Medial opening wedge distal tibial osteotomy, a relatively new technique for treatment of intermediate ankle joint arthritis, is a technically demanding procedure that requires preoperative planning to determine the size of the wedge that will restore anatomic alignment of the joint surface. The purpose of this study was to facilitate the preoperative planning process for distal tibial osteotomy by determining angular correction obtained with various wedge heights.

Methods: Measurements of the distal tibia were taken from cadaver specimens to develop a database of average distal tibial widths.