J Korean Orthop Assoc.  1976 Sep;11(3):353-362. 10.4055/jkoa.1976.11.3.353.

Treatment of Bowleg: Clinical observation of 18 cases

• Moon MS
• Kim I
• Kim BK

• KMID: 2461275
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.1976.11.3.353

Abstract

Nowadays the clinical impression in Korea is that genu varum uncommon though there was high incidence of this deformity by vitamin D deficiency in the early 1900. Authors reviewed the case histories and x-ray of 18 patients treated for this condition at the Dept. of Orthopaedics, St. Mary's hospital for past 5 years: 17 patients were under 5 years of age. 12 patients had rachitic bowIeg and among them four had active ricket. Six patients had physiologic bowleg deformity. Classification in four grades according to severity of bowleg is attempted. Among the cases eleven patients having less than 10 degree of bowleg treated conservatively with good end result, but corrective osteotomy is routinely scheduled for seven patients having bowleg of knee over 10 degree and resist to treatment. Lasting it is stressed that physiologic bowleg shoud be distinguished from pathologic one. Diagnosis of bow leg can not be made before age of 2-3 years, that is, before transitional phase of development of knee angle.

MeSH Terms

Classification
Congenital Abnormalities
Diagnosis
Genu Varum
Humans
Incidence
Knee
Korea
Osteotomy
Vitamin D Deficiency