A knee deformity usually consists of a bowed knee outwards (varus knee) or inwards (valgus knee). The knee has two compartments to receive the loads during the march. The inside (medial) and the outside (lateral). Ideally, these loads should be evenly distributed between the two compartments. Even some axis deviation can be well tolerated, as long as the compartment that is being overloaded overloaded has a good meniscus and healthy cartilage. There are other deformities in other planes, such as rotational changes, which can cause gait alterations. These changes can be within the individual variability that we all have, such as height or color of the eyes. They are not necessarily a problem or a pathology that needs to be treated.
Lower limb deformities can be constitutional (we are born with them) or acquired, the result of hip, knee or ankle fractures; knee joint or other lower limb injuries; among others. It’s important to assess your particular case to suggest the most appropriatetreatment.
Not all patients with these changes need to surgically correct the its deformity. The treatment takes into account the patient’s complaints or other type of symptoms resulting from the deformity, in particular changes in the gait pattern. The most common complaint is with activities of impact on the area opposite the deformity. But it may still be necessary to surgical correction of deformity due to other causes, as a procedure reconstruction of ligament injuries, treatment of cartilage or meniscus injuries, among others. cartilage or meniscus injuries, among others.
An osteotomy is an operation that consists of cutting the bone in a precise and controlled way to correct a deformity, according to detailed planning carried out by your orthopaedic surgeon before the operation. surgery. In the knee region, they can be performed on the femur or tibia or even in both bones simultaneously, depending on the location and severity of the deformity.
The simplest is to take an X-ray of the entire lower limbs (on extra-long film) and measure the specific values of the angles of the femur, tibia and joint. Today there are digital methods for this analysis will help the surgeon. Depending on these values, it will then be its correction is planned, also according to the problem that is being treated. For more complex situations, it may also be necessary to resort to a CT scan in order to obtain three-dimensional reconstructions of your lower limb your lower limb and be able to plan accordingly.
Recovery varies depending on the procedure performed and the extent of the correction (more severe deformities require larger corrections). These procedures are customized to the specific condition of each patient and by so they can’t be compared generically. As a rule, the need of walking with crutches for 8 weeks, performing partial loading. During this period, physiotherapy is necessary to gain strength. mobility and muscle strength. The return to impact activities is usually around 4 to 6 months.
