Knee Angular Deformities Treatment
To bear the weight of the body, the legs are designed to center the weight with a direct axis through the hip, knees and ankles. When the knees bend inward (knock knees) or outward (bowed legs), it is called a knee angular deformity, which usually begins in childhood. At DOCS Health, our orthopedic specialists offer knee angular deformities treatment at our state-of-the-art medical center in Los Angeles.
Knee angular deformities are common during bone growth in childhood. Toddlers often have bowed legs when they are first starting to walk. Some children also have knocked-knees, or knees that angle inward, during their early school years. In most cases, knee angular deformities disappear on their own as the child grows older, usually by age seven or eight. However, there are some cases where knee angular deformities are caused by underlying diseases, requiring treatment or surgery to correct.
Causes and Symptoms of Knee Angular Deformities
In early childhood, knee angular deformities can be part of the normal physiological growing process. Children who are overweight are more prone to knocked knees or bowed legs, but most grow out of the condition. When the knees still incline inward or bow outward when the child reaches seven or eight, there may be other underlying conditions causing the deformity. Possible causes include:
- Rickets
- Blount’s disease
- Tumors
- Injury or trauma
- Bone infections
Knee angular deformities usually do not cause pain in early childhood, but they can become uncomfortable as the child grows older. Treatment can include wearing braces or orthotics that can straighten the legs and help with knee alignment. In severe cases where conservative treatment is ineffective, surgery may be required to realign the knee with the hip, leg and ankle.
If you have a child with knee angular deformities, treatment is available at DOCS Health. Contact our orthopedic clinic in Los Angeles to schedule your appointment with one of our orthopedic physicians.
Doctors who treat this condition
Unless otherwise indicated, the physician is a member of DOCS Health Medical Group and has medical staff privileges at DOCS Surgery Center, DOCS Surgical Hospital, or both. Physicians denoted with an asterisk (*) are independent physicians who are not part of DOCS Health Medical Group, but do have medical staff privileges at DOCS Surgery Center, DOCS Surgical Hospital, or both.