Blount’s Disease​

Intro

Causes

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Treatment Options

Complications

Orthofix Solutions

Blount’s Disease​

Blount’s disease, also known as tibia vara, is a condition characterized by abnormal growth in the growth plates of the lower leg, resulting in deformities that may differ in direction and severity.

Its estimated prevalence in the United States is less than 1 percent, but the effects can be distressing.1

Severe bowing of the legs can also result, causing pain and mobility issues. It is different from physiological bow legs, which tend to straighten as the child grows; your doctor will be able to tell you which your child is experiencing.

Typically, it’s diagnosed in young children and adolescents and is often treated before skeletal maturity. However, it’s worth noting that some adults can also be diagnosed with Blount’s disease due to neglected adolescent tibia vara correction.

Causes

Causes

Causes

Causes

eight-Plate Guided Growth System™

Important safety information: Download the Product Instructions For Use.

The Guided Growth System eight-Plate and quad-Plate is an implant system designed to correct pediatric deformities (congenital or acquired) in lower limb, like genu valgum and varum, and limb length discrepancies. The plates are attached to the external surface of the bone over the growth plate by two or four screws depending on the plate selected by the surgeon. The implant acts like a flexible hinge, permitting growth at the growth plate to gradually straighten the limb when the physis (growth plates) are not fused. The screws are not locked to the plate but rather are allowed to swivel and diverge in their positions as the bone grows. Immediately after implantation, the patient is allowed mobility and weight bearing.

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eight-Plate Guided Growth System+™

Important safety information: Download the Product Instructions For Use.

The eight-Plate Guided Growth System+™ is an implant system designed to correct pediatric deformities (congenital or acquired) in lower limb, like genu valgum and varum, and limb length discrepancies. The plates are attached to the external surface of the bone over the growth plate by two or four screws depending on the plate selected by the surgeon. The implant acts like a flexible hinge, permitting growth at the growth plate to gradually straighten the limb when the physis (growth plates) are not fused. The screws are not locked to the plate but rather are allowed to swivel and diverge in their positions as the bone grows. Immediately after implantation, the patient is allowed mobility and weight bearing. The eight-Plate Guided Growth System+ offers more sizes and different screw types compared to the standard eight-Plate Guided Growth System, as well as an increased screw angle to treat very difficult cases.

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TL-HEX TrueLok Hexapod System™

Important safety information: Download the Product Instructions For Use.

TL-HEX is a dynamic, 3D external fixation system that combines hardware and software to correct bone deformities. This hexapod-based system functions as a 3D bone segment-repositioning module. In essence, the system consists of circular and semi-circular external supports secured to the bones by wires and half-pins, interconnected by six struts.

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TrueLok™

Important safety information: Download the Product Instructions For Use.

The Ilizarov System has experienced many modifications over the last fifty years. The TrueLok™ Ring Fixation System, developed at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) in Dallas, Texas, is one of the modern variants of the original fixator, but preserves many of the original principles of Professor Ilizarov. It consists of aluminum rings available in different sizes, connected to the bone through metal wires or/and bone screws. The relative movements of the rings allow the correction of almost all the bone deformities in upper and lower limbs and in the foot.

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Causes

The cause is not certain; it seems to be associated with early walking and above-average weight, and may be caused by the effects of weight on the growth plates. There is a definite genetic element and some patient groups, such as African Americans, seem more likely to develop Blount’s disease.

Symptoms

One or both legs may show bowing, which typically occurs just below the knee and may progress rapidly and unevenly.

Diagnosis

An orthopedic specialist will examine the legs to determine the inward-bending angle and will confirm the diagnosis by performing an X-ray of the knee.

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Treatment Options

Treatment options vary depending on the age of the patient and the severity of the condition. In younger children and less severe cases, a corrective leg brace or orthotic may be used to manage the limb deformity. Surgery may also be an option, with procedures such as attaching a guided-growth plate system to inhibit bone growth on one side of the deformity and allow the opposite side to catch up, straightening the leg.

In more severe deformities, osteotomy (the surgical cutting or removal of a piece of bone to change how bones line up) may be required. After osteotomy, either external or internal fixation will be used to hold the new bone in place. 2,3

Complications

If Blount’s disease is not treated, the symptoms can get worse, causing different leg lengths, pain and trouble walking. The condition can come back after surgery, especially in younger children who are still growing. A specialist can help you determine the right time to perform any surgery.

  1. Sabharwal S, Blount disease: an update. Orthop Clin North Am. 2015 Jan;46(1):37-47. doi: 10.1016/j.ocl.2014.09.002. Epub 2014 Oct 12. Review. PMID: 25435033
  2. Stevens PM, MD. Guided Growth for Angular Correction: A Preliminary Series Using a Tension Band Plate. J Pediatr Orthop & Volume 27, Number 3, April/May 2007
  3. Stevens PM. Growth Modulation for Angular and Length Correction; Chapter 4 in Pediatric Lower Limb Deformities: Principles and Techniques of Management