AskThePedipod
Deformity correction
Your child's leg is bent due to previous injury or infection or from birth
What it is: This refers to the correction of bony deformities of the limbs, whether present from birth, due to a growth disturbance, or following injury or illness. Deformities may involve the angle, rotation or length of a bone.
Signs and symptoms: Visible bowing or angulation of a limb, asymmetry between the two sides, or a change in the way your child walks or stands.
Diagnosis: Clinical assessment with standing alignment X-rays, and sometimes scanograms or CT to measure the deformity precisely.
Treatment: Options range from guided growth (a small procedure that gently steers a child's natural growth to straighten a limb) to corrective surgery (osteotomy) and, in some cases, gradual correction using specialised frames.
Outlook: Modern techniques allow many deformities to be corrected with minimal intervention, especially when a child still has growth remaining.
When to seek advice: If you notice a limb looks bent, twisted or asymmetrical, or a previous injury seems to have healed in a poor position.