Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA): Step-by-Step Surgical Photo Tour • Step 5 of 24

Surgical Step Description
The medial release is executed by elevating an uninterrupted sub-periosteal sleeve using electrocautery, starting just medial to the tibial tubercle and continuing subperiosteally in a medial direction. Upon reaching the anteromedial corner, a Cobb elevator is used to bluntly dissect the sub-periosteal plane to safely reach the posterior-medial corner of the tibia.
Master Class Pro-Tip: Intraoperative Pearl
Elevate the deep medial collateral ligament and anterior periosteum in continuity as a single sleeve rather than piecemealing fibers; this maintains ligamentous integrity and facilitates predictable, stepwise varus deformity correction.
Master Class Pro-Tip: Sub-periosteal Sleeve Elevation & Varus Balancing
Curator & Series Attribution
Curated by Dr. Joseph Bernstein, MD (Director of Education) • Managing Editor: Dr. Christian Veillette, MD • OrthopaedicsOne Surgical Education Series • Adult Reconstruction: Knee
Last Updated on September 28, 2026
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