This study aimed to determine the prevalence of excessive lateral pressure syndrome (ELPS) in potential candidates for high tibial osteotomy (HTO) using single-photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography (SPECT-CT). We also sought to identify risk factors related to the presence of ELPS.
This retrospective study included 150 patients (216 knees) who were candidates for HTO from an initial screening of 3579 patients (7158 knees). There were 183 female and 33 male knees with a mean age of 58 years. The presence of ELPS was defined as a grade 3 uptake on the SPECT-CT at the lateral PF joint. To determine the risk factors related to the ELPS, multivariate regression analysis was performed with independent demographic and radiographic variables.
Increased uptake on the lateral side of the PF joints was detected in 120 knees (56% of total subjects). Of these, 34 (16%) knees presented with a grade 3 uptake, which indicated the presence of ELPS. No single risk factor had significant associations with the presence of ELPS.
A considerable number of the knees that were candidates for HTO had ELPS. Nonetheless, we did not find any risk factor related to the presence of ELPS. These results suggest that surgeons should be cautious when diagnosing concomitant ELPS despite acceptable radiographic findings from patellofemoral joints when performing HTO.