Knee Malalignment

What is it?

Knee malalignment, also known as being bowlegged or knock-kneed, is a prevalent but hard to identify injury. Not everyone who has a deformity of the tibiofermoral joint notices or shows symptoms consistent with malalignment.

How does it get hurt/damaged?

Generally, the bowleggedness or knock-kneed alignment can be the result of trauma to the knee or occur after a partial meniscetomy.

What is the severity of the injury and what are the treatment options?

The severity of being bowlegged or knock-kneed depends on how much your weight-bearing axis is away from the center of the knee. If the axis is significantly off-center, there will be extra stress placed on. the affected inner or outer knee area. Treatment options include the use of an unloader brace, and if the brace is successful, an osteotomy procedure could be used to correct the malalignment.

What is the recovery timeline and the anticipated outcome?

Patients who receive an osteotomy will generally be able to return to the usage of the knee within 5-7 months.