Knee valgus in children

Many people's physical conditions may be somewhat deformed. Not everyone has a complete body. It is also possible that during the development process, injuries after birth may lead to foot valgus. It is very important to pay attention to foot valgus, find the cause and treat it, and actively correct it.

Knee valgum definition

Knee valgum, also known as knock-knee syndrome, commonly known as "knock-knee", is a common lower limb deformity. This deformity is the opposite of genu varum. When the lower limbs are naturally stretched or standing, when the two knees touch each other, the inner ankles of the two feet are separated and cannot be brought together. The lower limbs have knock-knee valgus, and their shape is like an "X", so they are also called "X"-shaped legs. If the knee is knocked out on one lower limb, the leg is shaped like a "K", also known as "K"-shaped leg.

Knee valgum is a condition in which the knee joint turns outward and the femoral articular surface tilts outward. The longitudinal arch of children's feet is not yet complete, the arch is flat and slightly everted. Children between the ages of 2 and 6 have developmental genu valgum, and mild to moderate genu valgum is a normal physiological phenomenon. If the genu valgum is obvious, the child walks awkwardly and the knees rub against each other when walking (genu valgum is also called knock-knee syndrome

Keep your feet apart. The child may swing one leg alongside the other to prevent the knees from colliding. The sick child tires easily, and his toes turn inward so that the body's center of gravity falls on the center of the sole of the foot, which is the second metatarsal bone. If the triceps surae and iliotibial band are contracted, the toes will deviate to the outside, and pain often occurs in the back of the calf or the front of the thigh. Severe knee valgus, disordered alignment of the quadriceps force line, and lateral slippage of the patella. Children with knock knees are less physically active and tend to be obese. Abnormal weight-bearing relationships can stretch the medial collateral ligament of the knee, sometimes leading to degenerative arthritis. The outside of the knee is subjected to greater force, and the femoral joint surface tilts outward.

Causes of X-shaped legs (knee valgum, splayed legs)

It is very complicated, mainly due to the following reasons:

1. Knee deformity caused by rickets or osteomalacia (caused by vitamin D deficiency);

2. Poliomyelitis of the anterior horn of the spinal cord leads to abnormal development of the femur or tibia;

3. Bone injury leading to abnormal development of femur or tibia;

4. Osteomyelitis leading to abnormal development of the femur or tibia;

5. Other diseases (such as sequelae caused by fractures, trauma, osteoma, etc.) lead to abnormal development of the femur or tibia. Among the above-mentioned various pathogenic factors, rickets is the most common and important factor. X-type legs often occur in the tibia. When standing upright, the lower limbs bulge outward in an arc shape, the inner ankles of the two feet are close to each other, and the two knees cannot be close together, with a large distance between them, similar to an "X" shape, so it is called X-type legs. The main clinical manifestations are knee deformity and walking difficulties. Patients with a long course of disease may develop secondary tension-side knee ligament relaxation, degenerative arthritis, patellar dislocation and patellar cartilage softening, and cause corresponding symptoms. This disease is more common in children and adolescents, and can affect one or both lower limbs, or the lesion may be limited to one lower limb. The appearance is similar to a "K" shape, so it is also called "K"-shaped legs. In fact, it is a special type of X-shaped legs.