What Are Knock Knees
Knock knees or genu valgum is when a child stands up straight and the knees touch but the ankles are apart. Knock knees often happen as a normal part of growth and development. So, kids toddler to elementary school age often have knock knees. It’s rarely serious and the condition usually goes away on its own by the time a child is 7 or 8 years old.
Why Are Knock Knees Bad
Bone diseases resulting from poor mineralisation, such as rickets, may present through large knee angles during childhood. When pathological knock knees are seen in combination with short stature and other bone and joint misalignment, a skeletal dysplasia or metabolic bone disorder may be the cause.
Do They Have To Be Treated
It is usually parental concern for the way a child looks when standing or walking that sparks initial review by a health professional. Children presenting with physiological knock knees do not require treatment or ongoing monitoring, as they will grow out of it with time.
Conservative treatments may be beneficial such as exercises and weight loss programs to reduce obesity and improve knee movement in children, or knee braces and foot orthoses for painful osteoarthritis associated with knock knees in adults. However, these interventions require more scientific evidence to support their use as there currently isnt much.
Children with severe or worsening pathological knock knees might need orthopaedic surgery to correct their knee alignment, particularly in the presence of persistent pain or disability, regardless of the underlying cause.
There are many operations for pathological knock knees. A hemiepiphysiodesis is a type of guided growth operation involving the placement of staples or a plate on the inside part of the knee to slow down growth while the outside part of the knee continues to grow. This then corrects the knee angle to a straighter position. A study reporting outcomes two years after this operation showed correction in 34 of 38 knock knees.
Orthopaedic surgery is rarely needed. For most kids, knock knees are just a normal part of growing up.
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How Long Will It Take To Treat Knee Knocking With Exercises
How long it takes to treat your knee knock without surgery using exercises like the ones above will depend on the severity of your alignment problem, as well as other factors like if youre overweight.
Extra weight can put a lot of unnecessary burden on the knees and cause it to take longer than normal for both knock knees and bowlegsto correct themselves.
Yes, its possible for knock knees to be corrected in adults by exercise but you have to be consistent. Start performing these low-impact exercises to strengthen your knees and leg muscles daily so that your knock knee leg can be corrected gradually.
There are also yoga exercises that can correct your knock knees by stretching and strengthening the appropriate bones until they grow in the correct position.
If a gradual correction does not occur, surgery is usually whats recommended. In order to correct severe knock knees limb lengthening surgery is whats required.
Mountain Pose: Make It A Block Party
Mountain Pose or Tadasana sets the stage for many standing poses. However, this pose often exacerbates a knock kneed posture which internally rotates the femur bones and overuses the outer hips , thus weakening the inner thighs.
Strategically using a block can help you align the knees directly under the hips, broaden the hamstrings, and strengthen the weaker muscles of the quadricep group, preparing for a healthier and happier practice.
- Stand with your feet parallel, about hip width distance.
- Squeeze a block above your knees, between your mid to upper thighs to strengthen the Vastus Medialis .
- Maintain a lengthened spine without excessively rounding the lumbar spine.
- You can also try this technique in Utkatasana and/or Uttanasana to receive the same benefits.
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What Are Knock Knees There Are 2 Types: One Is Considered Structural Meaning The Bones Are Fixed Genetically And The Other Is Considered Postural Meaning The Bones Are Being Pulled By Muscles And Can Be Corrected
The first, structural one, is also called “genu valgum” which means the angle of the femur bone is overly accentuated and the knees touch when the feet are together and knees extended.
Let’s focus on Postural Knock Knees
Postural knock knees, according to Kendall’s Muscle Testing and Function are a combination of external rotation of the hip, hyperextension of the knee, and supination of the ankle.
Because the femurs are externally rotated, the knees are bending and straightening at an oblique angle, so when the knees hyperextend they “knock” each other. The supination of the ankle is a natural continuation of the lower limb being in external rotation, since supination is basically external rotation of the ankle and foot.
I also see knock knees where the femur is not in external rotation, meaning the patella is facing straight ahead. The knocking happens because the IT Bands and outer muscles of the thigh create a kind of flexion on the transverse plane and the knees collapse inward. This almost always happens with obese people since the thighs cannot come together due to fat and the inner thighs become overly lengthened and the outer leg becomes overly tight.
In both cases the inner thighs are long, and the lateral muscles of the leg are short.
Strategies for Postural Knock Knees:
1. Release IT Band, Lateral Quads, Lateral Hamstrings and External Rotators.
I like to use the foam roller to do this.
-Footwork in internal rotation and “snow plow” pulses.
What To Expect After Guided Growth Surgery
After the guided growth plate is inserted into the bone successfully you may be able to return to your typical day to day activities within the matter of a few weeks.
You may experience a little pain immediately after the procedure but this is to be expected for about 2 weeks until your bones begin to heal.
The good news is the pain wont be too severe since there werent any bones cut during the operation.
How long the plate will remain along the growth area of one side of the bone will depend on various factors such as age, severity of the deformity, and the person.
The orthopaedic surgeon will keep a close eye on progress of the operation by conducting X-ray examinations periodically.
The surgeon will be checking to make sure the plate inserted is altering the growth of the bones inside your knee properly.
Once the desired realignment of the knee is achieved the plate will be removed.
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Knock Knee Correction Shoes
There are also knock knee correction shoes that help fix your gait and align your knees properly so that any pressure or strain on the joints due to your knocked knee can be relieved.
You also have orthotics, which are corrective orthopedic inserts that can be inserted into any shoe and help relieve excess pressure on your knees, ankles, and feet.
For those who want to know how to fix knock knees without surgery, you may not be able to completely get rid of a child or an adults genu valgum by wearing corrective shoes or inserts but at the very least you can drastically improve the way you walk and reduce the pain due to your knock knees.
The best type of corrective shoes for knock knees will have great arch support so that your feet have a better chance at being properly aligned while you wear them.
Also, optimal ankle support is important so you can control the alignment of your heel and lower leg. Youll also want to make sure the shoe has enough space on the inside so that you can insert an orthotic if you need added knee alignment effectiveness.
How To Fix Knock Knees Without Surgery By Treating The Underlying Condition
Finally, if you want to know how to correct knock knees in adults without surgery you may need to treat the underlying condition causing the genu valgum. As mentioned above, there are a number of different conditions that can cause knock knees indirectly.
Once you identify the underlying cause and treat it appropriately your knock knee leg will correct itself without the need for surgical procedures.
Some common underlying conditions that may need to be treated first in order to correct knock knees include:
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How To Fix Knock Knees
Many parents wonder how to fix knock knees or bow legs, but if your child has one of these conditions theres no need to worry about. Just keep things under control.
Only if the situation doesnt improve or tends to get worse with growth, it is better to see a specialist.
Knock Knees also called valgus knee, is a condition when the knees touch each other and the ankles are widely separated. On the contrary, bow legs or varus deformity is when the knees are separated from one another and the ankles are close together. Both attitudes can be considered normal only at certain stages of a childs life
When should we worry?
The direction of childrens legs varies a lot until adolescence. During gestation the position of the fetus is curled up and this explains why the knees are physiologically varus at birth. Around 18-20 months the knees often become knocked.
This process continues up to 5 years, when the knees tend to realign. Around 10-11 years, they take the final position that will persists in adulthood.
However, there may be cases in which Knock Knees and Bow Legs do not correct themselves with growth, but they may worsen, instead.
Bow Legs that worsens in the first 20 months of life could indicate an underlying disease.
Anyway also the childs weight can determine this condition: a chubby baby, who starts walking early, around 9-10 months, is often bow legged because his/her weight, burden on the knees and pushes them outwards.
What causes Knock Knees and Bow Legs?
What Is The Long
The vast majority of children with knock knees get better without treatment and have a very positive long-term outlook. For children who have surgery for severe forms of the condition, the outlook is also excellent. The surgical and non-surgical procedures are quite safe and children’s bones usually heal faster and more reliably than adults.
Some children with severe knock knees that doesnt improve or is due to an underlying condition , and who do not receive treatment, may over time develop knee pain, meniscal tears, patellar dislocation, or cartilage damage .
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How Is Knock Knees Diagnosed
On physical appearance, with the patient standing upright, the knees touch each other, but there is a wide space between the ankles. The best way to diagnose knock knees is by taking a standing X-ray, and drawing the straight line on the image from the hip to the ankle. If that line passes to the outside of the knee, there is genu valgum present. Additional diagnostic lines can be drawn to determine if the source of the angular deviation is coming from the femur or the tibia .
When looking at childrens X-rays, we also pay attention to the quality of the bone and the width of the growth plates. Children with nutritional vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D-resistant rickets , or with kidney failure, for example, have widened, irregular growth plates and can present with genu valgum. In children where vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D-resistant rickets, or kidney failure are suspected as the cause of knock knees, additional blood tests can be done to specifically look for those issues.
Causes Of Knock Knees
Genu Valgum may have several causes, potentially these causes can be of two types I.e. Metabolic Bone Disorder and Genetic Disorder. Here are a few common causes of Genu Valgum
- Obesity, the greater weight impacts on your condition.
- Injury or Illness affecting the leg or knee.
- Arthritis,
- Deficiency of vitamin D and calcium
Symptoms of Knock Knees
You can check if a person is affected or not by it by asking him to stand with his knees together and measure the gap between the ankles if this gap is about 2-3 inches then he/she is affected by knock knee. You will notice that knees will appear to push inward each other. This can be fairly seen in the children about age 3-7 years old.
These symptoms are of knock knees can be seen or felt by these conditions-
- Knee pain, that person will feel a strong pain while doing some tough work related to leg.
- Mild pain in feet, hips, and ankles.
- Strong pain in joints
- Unable to stand properly.
Till now you have learned about what is Knock knees and its symptoms and causes but here we will learn about Top 5 ways to correct Knock Knees.
Top 5 Ways to Correct Knock Knees-
Generally, anyone suffering from it does not need to get any surgery or any medical treatment as it tends to correct itself as the children grow.
In mild knock knee cases the child should not avoid any physical activity it would be better to use supporting leg braces.
Treatment No. 1: Medication and Supplements
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When To Get Medical Advice
Knock knees in children aren’t usually a cause for concern and should improve as your child gets older.
However, visit your GP if:
- the gap between the ankles is greater than 8cm while standing with the knees together
- there’s a big difference between the angle of the lower legs when standing compared with the upper legs
- the problem seems to be getting worse
- a child under the age of 2 or over the age of 7 has knock knees
- only one leg is affected
- there are other symptoms, such as knee pain or difficulty walking
- you have any other concerns about the way your child stands or walks
- you develop knock knees in adulthood
Your GP will examine your or your child’s legs, ask about any pain or walking difficulties, and may take some measurements.
They may refer you to an orthopaedic surgeon and arrange an X-ray of your legs and blood tests to check for underlying problems.
Exercises For Improving Balance
Since research indicates slight balance impairments may be present in bow-legged individuals, you may wish to also incorporate balance exercises into your workout routine. Some good ideas may include:
- Single leg standing: Standing on one foot
- Tandem standing: Standing with one foot directly in front of the other
- BOSU ball training: Using the BOSU balance trainer while doing exercises
Before starting any exercise program, check in with your physician and physical therapist to ensure that exercising is safe for you to do.
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Knock Knees Treatment/ How To Get Rid Of Knock Knees
There is no such treatment is required if the children have knock knees. As it automatically corrects itself as they continue to grow. There is no need for any special shoes or avoiding physical activities and neither they need any physiotherapy or special treatment. The treatment is needed when the condition is severe. Usually, an operation to correct this problem is required. Read more here.
How To Make Legs With Valgus Deformity Straight
Modern medicine does wonders. At the beginning of the last century, people could not even wonder how to make legs straight in case of Genu Valgum. Today, this is a common correction procedure that takes 30 minutes for two legs. In case of valgus deformity, the bones of the anticnemion or hip do not grow correctly, their mineralization is impaired. There may be many causes of the defect:
- Excess weight
- Uneven load on the joints
- Rickets and osteomyelitis
- Traumas and fractures experienced before.
In all conditions, corrective osteotomy can be performed. This is a small incision of the bone in the area of the pathology. The operation is performed using a minimally invasive technique with help the Veklich external fixation device. The fixation device installed on the leg makes it possible to fix the effect in order to achieve a stable result. The patient gets straight legs after 2-3 months. After surgery, the patient does not have scars and noticeable signs of surgery.
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Understanding Bowlegs And Knock
When a child with bowlegs stands with his or her feet together, if the toes pointed straight ahead, but the knees do not touch, he or she has bow-legs. The medical term for bowlegs is “genu varum”, most likely coming from the words thighbone , shinbone or both.
When a child with knock-knees stands with his or her legs together, feet pointed straight ahead, and the knees touch but their ankles do not, he or she has knock-knees. The medical term is “genu valgum”, which may also come from the words thighbone, shinbone or both.
Dealing With Knock Knees In Children
Did you know? While not all young children develop knock knees, they are considered a normal part of a childs growth and development when they occur between the ages of 2 and 5.
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