Genu valgum deformity – correction by a wedgeless implantless femoral “V” osteotomy

Coronal malalignment of the knee joint is very common in developing countries especially because of nutritional rickets. Significant valgus deformity needs to be treated surgically to improve appearance, gait and function of the patient. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the results of supracondylar “V” osteotomy as a surgical technique for correction of the valgus knee deformity. This study was conducted in a tertiary level teaching hospital and 30 cases were included in the study. For all the patients deformity was assessed using ana- tomical tibiofemoral angle, mechanical axis deviation and intermalleolar distance preoperatively and post- operatively. The average age of our patients was 13.7 years and the average follow up was3.29 years (1.39-14.22 yrs). Clinically the average value of intermalleolar distance preoperatively was 16cm and 3.2 cm postperatively. Average pre-operative tibiofemoral angle was 23° and the average postoperative angle was 6 0 which was found to be statistically significant using the Paired t test (p<0.005). The average value of preoperative mechanical axis deviation was 3.1 cm which decreased to an average value of 1.1 cm postoperatively. The results with this technique have been encouraging. The advantages of this technique are low morbidity, good stability allowing early ambulation, ability to adjust alignment postoperatively by casting and no need for internal fixation. Few studies have been conducted on osteotomies that do not require internal fixation and are inherently stable. This technique has the advantage of practically no occurrence of any infection or a second surgery to remove hardware in children and adolescents. Since no specialized instrumentation, image intensifier and implants are required, it is cost effective and can be used in any primary care or district level surgical setup in a developing country like ours.

Ginocchio valgo punto per punto: quello che deve sapere il pediatra

Knee valgus is one of the most frequent paediatric orthopaedic problems based on the evaluation by the paediatricians. Most cases are physiological variants that resolve spontaneously with growth, however pathological cases require surgical treatment. Therefore, the paediatrician must know how to distinguish between the two entities from the beginning, sending the child to the specialist when necessary, thus respecting the correct timing for treatment. The most frequent condition is idiopathic knee valgus, which occurs when the physiological variant persists after the age of 8 without spontaneous resolution. Children who always need specialist evaluation are those who on physical examination show a tibiofemoral angle greater than 15° with an intermalleolar distance of about 10 cm that persists beyond 10 years of age. The gold standard treatment in these children is growth-guided hemiepiphysiodesis, namely a simple and minimally invasive procedure that reshapes the altered angle of the knees through the application of the 8-plate. The correction is based on the presence of residual growth of the physical cartilages, therefore it should not be performed too late, but not before 10 years of age.

Guided Growth Vs. Tibial Osteotomy in Early Stage of Blount Disease

Background: There are no real comparative study between guided growth and tibial osteotomy in early stage of Blount disease. The aim of this work was to compare the results of patients treated by these two techniques. Method: We had performed a multicenter retrospective, descriptive and analytical study over a period of 05 years. All children admitted for Blount disease without medial proximal tibial epiphysiodesis and treated by one of these techniques were included. Age, sex, existence of tibial torsion, radiological stage based on Catonne's classification were studied. We also evaluated preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at latest follow-up tibiofemoral angle, mechanical medial proximal tibial angle, mechanical lateral distal femoral angle, and the tibial metaphyso-diaphyseal angle. Results: Seventeen (17) patients for 24 knees were included. The sex ratio was 0.54. All patients had tibial torsion. Fourteen knees (64%) were treated by guided growth at a mean age of 5.5±2.5 (range, 3-9 years). With a mean follow-up of 12 ± 3.5 months (range 6-15month); tibiofemoral, mechanical medial proximal tibial, and tibial metaphyso-diaphyseal angles were significantly corrected with normalization of the mechanical axis in 8 patients (60%). Ten patients (36%) were treated by revisited Rab osteotomy at a mean age of 7.7±4.9 years (range, 4-12 years). At a mean follow-up of 23±15 months (range, 10-48 months), only tibial metaphyso-diaphyseal angle was significantly corrected. The recurrence rate was 60%. Despite perfect correction of tibiofemoral, and mechanical medial proximal tibial angles in immediate postoperative follow-up, they gradually decrease in patients treated by Rab osteotomy, whereas they gradually increased in case of guided growth. Conclusion: Guided growth appears to be the best treatment for early stage of Blount disease. Trial registration: Retrospectively registered

Affecting Factors and Correction Ratio in Genu Valgum or Varum Treated with Percutaneous Epiphysiodesis Using Transphyseal Screws

This study evaluated the correction rates of idiopathic genu valgum or varum after percutaneous epiphysiodesis using transphyseal screws (PETS) and analyzed the affecting factors. A total of 35 children without underlying diseases were enrolled containing 64 physes (44 distal femoral (DT), 20 proximal tibial (PT)). Anatomic tibiofemoral angle (aTFA) and the mechanical axis deviation (MAD) were taken from teleroentgenograms before PETS surgery and screw removal. The correction rates of the valgus and varus deformities for patients treated with PETS were 1.146°/month and 0.639°/month using aTFA while using MAD showed rates of 4.884%/month and 3.094%/month. After aTFA (p < 0.001) and MAD (p < 0.001) analyses, the correction rate of DF was significantly faster than that of PT. Under multivariable analysis, the aTFA correction rate was significantly faster in younger patients (p < 0.001), in males (p < 0.001), in patients with lower weights (p < 0.001), and in the group that was screwed at DF (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the MAD correction rate was significantly faster in patients with lower heights (p = 0.003). PETS is an effective treatment method for valgus and varus deformities in growing children and clinical characters should be considered to estimate the correction rate.

Association of tibiofemoral angle, quadriceps angle and body mass index in a selected adolescent population

Background: Tibiofemoral angle (TFA) and quadriceps angle (QA) are important in the evaluation of patients with knee pathologies associated with these angles. Objectives: This study investigated correlations among TFA, QA and body mass index (BMI) among Nigerian adolescent population. Methods: A total of 519 (262 males and 257 females) adolescents aged between 10-18 years selected by stratified random sampling technique from some randomly selected schools in Nnewi metropolis. This study utilised the cross-sectional survey design. A height meter and bathroom weighing scale were used to collect data for BMI while a universal plastic goniometer was used to measure TFA and QA. Independent t- test, paired t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used to analyse the data obtained. Results: Findings of this study showed there was significant difference between right and left QA of males (t= 2.824; p= 0.005), and females (t= -2.012; p= 0.045) with the right QA been higher than the left in both males and females. Males have a higher TFA and QA (p<0.05 in all cases) than females. A significant negative correlation was found between BMI and right TFA (p=0.034), and between TFA and QA (p= <0.0001). Conclusion: TFA positively significantly correlated with QA, with males having higher QA and TFA than females. The obtained information is important in the assessment and management of knee pathologies associated with these angles. Keywords: Tibiofemoral angle; quadriceps angle; body mass index; selected adolescent population.

The Profile and Development of the Lower Limb in Setswana-Speaking Children between the Ages of 2 and 9 Years

Profile data on normal lower limb development and specifically tibiofemoral angle development in black, Setswana-speaking South African children are lacking. This study aimed to provide profiles on the development of the tibiofemoral angle, hip anteversion angle and tibial torsion angles in two- to nine-year-old children. Measurements of the tibiofemoral angle, intercondylar distances or intermalleolar distances, quadriceps-angle, hip anteversion- and tibial torsion angle were clinically obtained from 691 healthy two- to nine-year-old children. Two-year-old children presented with closest to genu varum at −3.4° (±3.4°). At three years, a peak of −5.7° (±2.3°) genu valgum was seen, which plateaued at −4.5° (±2.1°) at age nine years. Intermalleolar distance results support tibiofemoral angle observations. Small quadricep-angles were observed in the two-year-old group, (−3.81° ± 3.77°), which increased to a mean peak of −9.2° (±4.4°) in nine-year-olds. From the age of four years old, children presented with neutral tibial torsion angles, whilst two- and three-year-olds presented with internal tibial torsion angles. Anteversion angles were the greatest in three-year-olds at 77.6° ± 13.8° and decreased to a mean angle of 70.8° ± 6.9° in nine-year-olds. The tibiofemoral angle developed similarly to those tested in European, Asian and Nigerian children, but anteversion- and internal tibial torsion angles were greater in the Setswana population than angles reported in European children. Our findings indicate that lower limb development differs in different environments and traditions of back-carrying may influence the development, which requires further investigation.

High Medium-Term Survivorship of Cruciate-Retaining Total Knee Arthroplasties (110 Knees) for Valgus Deformity

The main purpose of this article is to evaluate the clinical outcomes and survivorship of cruciate-retaining (CR) knee arthroplasties for valgus deformity. This article is retrospective consecutive series of 110 valgus knees using CR implants with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Deformity correction was achieved using stepwise sequential soft tissue releases (iliotibial band, popliteus tendon, lateral collateral release through sliver femoral condylar osteotomy). Demographic data, range of movement, and degrees of deformity were collected. The Oxford Knee Score (OKS) was used as patients' reported outcome measure at final follow-up. One-hundred and four patients (110 knees) were included (87 females/17 males) with mean age of 68.7 years. Primary diagnosis was osteoarthritis in 85 patients and rheumatoid arthritis in 19 patients. Mean follow-up was 5.5 years (median: 5 years; range: 2–14 years). Preoperative valgus deformity was measured radiographically using the mechanical tibiofemoral angle with a mean 18.6° (standard deviation [SD]: 7.5; range: 11–38°). At final follow-up, mechanical tibiofemoral angle was 3.8° (SD: 1.97; range: 2–8°). A p-value was <0.0001 and mean OKS was 42 (SD: 5.4; range: 36–48) suggesting satisfactory patients' reported outcomes with no implant revision for any cause. CR implants for valgus knees using staged soft tissue releases including sliver condylar osteotomy had excellent medium-term survivorship and satisfactory patient reported outcome measures. The Level of Evidence for this study is IV.

Stress distribution in the knee joint in relation to tibiofemoral angle using the finite element method

The article presents the results of a preliminary study on the structural analysis of the knee joint, considering changes in the mechanical properties of the articular cartilage of the joint. Studies have been made due to the need to determine the tension distribution occurring in the cartilage of the human knee. This distribution could be the starting point for designing custom made human knee prosthesis. Basic anatomy, biomechanical analysis of the knee joint and articular cartilage was introduced. Based on a series of computed tomography [CT] scans, the 3D model of human knee joint was reverse-engineered, processed and exported to CAD software. The static mechanical analysis of the knee joint model was conducted using the finite element method [FEM], in three different values of tibiofemoral angle and with varying mechanical properties of the cartilage tissue. Main conclusions of the study are: the capability to absorb loads by articular cartilage of the knee joint is preliminary determined as decreasing with increasing degenerations of the cartilage and with age of a patient. Without further information on changes of cartilage’s mechanical parameters in time it is hard to determine the nature of relation between mentioned capability and these parameters.

Measurement of tibiofemoral angle in Nepalese children: a clinical study in normal subjects between ages of 1-8 years

In evaluation of genu valgum/varum Tibiofemoral angle (TF), Inter-condylar Distance (IC) and Inter-malleolar Distance (IM) are commonly measured. In this study normal limits and mean values of TF angle IC/IM distances was determined in 413 normal Nepalese children aged between 1-8 years using clinical methods. A significantly higher degree of valgus angle was noted compared to other studies performed in different races. The maximal mean valgus angle was 10.5 at 4-5 years for boys and 10.6 at 6-7 years for girls. Conclusion: A measurable varus or valgus angle higher than 11 degrees during this period should be considered abnormal.