Trends in High Tibial Osteotomy and Knee Arthroplasty Utilizations and Demographics in Korea From 2009 to 2013

We analyzed the records of 29,895 high tibial osteotomies (HTOs), 12,589 unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (UKAs) and 363,386 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) performed from 2009 to 2013 in Korea. They were compared with the latest nationwide registry reports of seven Western countries. Over the last 5 years, in Korea, the number of HTO, UKA and TKA increased by 210%, 138%, and 18%, respectively. The largest increase was observed in 55–64 year olds in HTO and UKA, while the largest increase in TKA was in ≥75 year olds. Females commonly had a three- to seven-fold higher rate in all procedures. Worldwide, the use of HTO and UKA decreased or remained stable, whereas that of TKA increased steadily, even in younger patients.