Abstract: BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found that both high tibial osteotomy and high tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopy can effectively treat medial compartment osteoarthritis with varus deformity of the knee, but there are few studies comparing the therapeutic effects of the two. 
OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical outcome of high tibial osteotomy and high tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopy to treat degenerative tear in the posterior horn of medial meniscus combined with varus deformity of knee joint.
METHODS: From July 2015 to January 2019, data of 48 knee osteoarthritis patients with degenerative tear in the posterior horn of medial meniscus combined with varus deformity of knee joint in Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The 24 patients in the trial group were treated with high tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopy. The 24 patients in the control group were treated with high tibial osteotomy. The knee joint function scores and imaging detection indexes at different time points after operation were compared between the two groups. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The hospital for special surgery knee score and knee Lysholm score of patients in the trial group at 6 and 12 months after operation were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the hospital for special surgery knee score and knee Lysholm score between the two groups at 24 and 36 months after operation (P > 0.05). The visual analogue scale score of patients in the trial group was lower than that in the control group at 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the visual analogue scale scores between the two groups at 12, 24, and 36 months after surgery (P > 0.05). (2) The imaging examination at 12 months after operation showed that the lower limb alignment and femoral tibial angle were effectively improved in both groups, and the relative positions of the femoral tibial angle and lower limb alignment passing through the tibial plateau and the posterior tibial slope of the tibial plateau were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). (3) It is concluded that high tibial osteotomy and high tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopic surgery can effectively treat degenerative tear in the posterior horn of medial meniscus combined with varus deformity of knee joint, effectively improve joint function and relieve pain symptoms. High tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopy exhibited good early clinical efficacy. 

Key words: osteoarthritis, arthroscopy, meniscus, osteotomy, meniscus injury, varus deformity of the knee