Publisher's Synopsis
Blount disease is a developmental disorder characterized by disordered growth of the medial aspect of the proximal tibial physis resulting in progressive lower-limb deformity. Although it is also referred to as tibia vara (because the varus coronal plane deformity is most distinctive), the disease usually results in a multiplanar limb deformity consisting of varus, procurvatum, and internal rotation of the tibia. This pattern is a result of the asymmetry of disordered physeal growth, most pronounced in the posteromedial aspect of the proximal tibial physis. Blount disease can also be associated with a limb-length discrepancy and, in some patients, deformity of the distal femur as well.
Erlacher was the first to describe a case of tibia vara in 1922. Walter Blount brought attention to the disease in 1937 in an article describing 13 children with tibia vara or osteochondrosis deformans
Blount's disease, also known as tibia vara, is a growth disorder that affects the growth plates of the shin bone (tibia). Blount's disease causes a child's lower leg to turn inward and bend to resemble the curve in the letter C.
Infants and toddlers naturally have bowed legs (a curve to their legs), but the bend in their legs straightens out when the child begins to walk. Children diagnosed with Blount's disease have a distinct curve in their legs that doesn't resolve as the child ages and gets worse as their bones grow.
Bowed legs naturally occur in infants and go away when your child begins walking or by the time they turn two years old. If you notice your child's legs don't straighten out or their bow becomes more defined as they age, visit your healthcare provider for an evaluation. Early diagnosis and treatment most effectively stop the bow from becoming worse and prevent complications like arthritis and nerve damage from arising.
