The purpose of this study was to compare the changes and resumption of sports and physical activities (SPA) between older and younger patients after opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO).

One hundred and one patients (120 knees) with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis were investigated. The 53 patients aged>65 years were defined as the O group and the 48 patients aged<64 years were defined as the Y group. The ratios of SPA cases, time points at which SPA was started after surgery, frequencies of SPA, and Lysholm scores were compared between the two groups. The level of significance was set at P<0.05.

The preoperative and postoperative ratios of SPA cases were 28.3% and 26.4% in the O group, respectively (P=0.82). The corresponding ratios were 20.8% and 41.6% in the Y group, respectively (P=0.027). The mean time points for starting SPA after surgery were 12.3±7.5 months in the O group and 11.2±11.0 months in the Y group (P=0.18). The mean frequencies of SPA after surgery were 4.04±2.15 days/week in the O group and 2.7±1.99 days/week in the Y group (P=0.021). The mean postoperative Lysholm scores were 89.5±5.4 in the O group and 88.8±4.9 in the Y group (P=0.61).

The postoperative ratio of SPA cases showed a significant increase compared with the preoperative ratio in the Y group only. However, older patients performed SPA more often than younger patients postoperatively. Both older and younger patients required a relatively long time to resume or start SPA.