An opening wedge describes a type of knee osteotomy for correcting limb alignment.
Laminar spreaders open the wedge of a high tibial osteotomy, and then the bone is held in the new position with a plate and screws until new bone fills the gap. Strong metal or carbon fibre plates and screws are used fix the bones in the new position, until new bone heals the defect, after which time the surgeon and patient may elect to remove the plate.
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