Femoral Derotational Osteotomies For Version Abnormalities: A Mean Ten-Year Follow-Up

Description

This episode of AI Talks with Bone & Joint discusses the paper 'Femoral derotational osteotomies for version abnormalities: a mean ten-year follow-up' by B Muffly and colleagues, published in May 2026. The hosts explain that femoral derotational osteotomies (FDOs) are used to correct femoral version abnormalities such as excessive anteversion or retroversion, which can contribute to hip pain, dysfunction, altered biomechanics, and osteoarthritis. The retrospective study reviewed 77 hips in 60 patients treated between 1997 and 2019 with an antegrade intramedullary device. Eligible patients had persistent, function-limiting hip pain despite conservative treatment, CT-confirmed version abnormalities, preserved joint space, and abnormal hip range of motion consistent with the diagnosis. Results were strongly positive: the modified Harris Hip Score improved from 61.6 preoperatively to 89.7 postoperatively, 95.2% of patients reported improvement, and satisfaction was high in both anteversion and retroversion groups. Long-term survivorship free from conversion to arthroplasty reached 95% at up to 20 years. The discussion also notes limitations such as interobserver variability in range-of-motion assessment, lack of routine postoperative CT due to radiation concerns, and changing indications for concurrent procedures over time. Overall, the episode concludes that FDO, alone or with other hip preservation procedures, can meaningfully improve pain and function while preserving the native hip long-term.

Specialties

Paper Links

https://boneandjoint.org.uk/Article/10.1302/2633-1462.75.BJO-2026-0014.R1