What Are Knocked Knees?
Knock knees, also called genu valgum, is a type of knee condition. Knock knees occur when your knees tilt together, but your ankles stay apart. This condition usually affects children between 3–7 years old.
Most children experience some kind of knock knees as they grow. The condition usually corrects itself as your child gets older. However, if your child’s knock knees do not go away, they may need treatment.
What Causes Knock Knees?
Children start out bow-legged. As they grow, their legs begin to straighten. When they learn to walk, their knees tilt inward. The tilting causes their knees to touch, creating knocked knees. In most cases, your child will outgrow having knocked knees.
There are other conditions that can cause knock knees:
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Metabolic problems with the bone
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Injury or infection in the leg
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Obesity or being overweight
Knock Knees Symptoms
The most common symptom of knock knees is visible when your child stands. If your child has knock knees, you may notice that your child’s knees touch and their ankles stay far apart.
Your child may also experience knee pain or join stiffness especially with activity.
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How Is Knock Knees Diagnosed?
Your child’s health care provider will perform a physical exam to check your child for knock knees. They will look at your child’s legs, knees, and ankles. Your provider may also measure the distance between your child’s ankle bones. If your child is older than two years old, your provider may suggest an X-ray.
Knock Knees Treatment
The first step in treating knock knees is pinpointing the cause of your child’s knock knees. Most cases of knock knees do not need treatment.
Treatment options depend on the age of your child and severity of their knock knees. Medications and nutrition supplements treat knock knees caused by rickets.
Knocked Knee Surgery
If your child’s knock knees do not improve with time and treatment, your provider may suggest surgery. Knock knee surgery is called guided growth surgery.
Guided growth surgery is an option for children still growing. Your child’s surgeon inserts a small metal bracket in your child’s knee to help direct future bone growth. The surgeon removes the growth plate when bone angle improves. In more severe cases, or for older children who are done growing, a surgery to cut and realign the bone may be needed.
Your pediatric surgeon may recommend simple exercises and physical therapy after surgery. Exercises and physical therapy can improve your child’s strength and range of motion.
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