Deformity Reconstruction Surgery for Blount’s Disease

Blount’s disease is an idiopathic developmental abnormality affecting the medial proximal tibia physis resulting in a multi-planar deformity with pronounced tibia varus. A single cause is unknown, and it is currently thought to result from a multifactorial combination of hereditary, mechanical, and...

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Main Author: Craig A. Robbins
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
Series:Children
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/7/566
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author Craig A. Robbins
author_facet Craig A. Robbins
author_sort Craig A. Robbins
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description Blount’s disease is an idiopathic developmental abnormality affecting the medial proximal tibia physis resulting in a multi-planar deformity with pronounced tibia varus. A single cause is unknown, and it is currently thought to result from a multifactorial combination of hereditary, mechanical, and developmental factors. Relationships with vitamin D deficiency, early walking, and obesity have been documented. Regardless of the etiology, the clinical and radiographic findings are consistent within the two main groups. Early-onset Blount’s disease is often bilateral and affects children in the first few years of life. Late-onset Blount’s disease is often unilateral and can be sub-categorized as juvenile tibia vara (ages 4–10), and adolescent tibia vara (ages 11 and older). Early-onset Blount’s disease progresses to more severe deformities, including depression of the medial tibial plateau. Additional deformities in both groups include proximal tibial procurvatum, internal tibial torsion, and limb length discrepancy. Compensatory deformities in the distal femur and distal tibia may occur. When non-operative treatment fails the deformities progress through skeletal maturity and can result in pain, gait abnormalities, premature medial compartment knee arthritis, and limb length discrepancy. Surgical options depend on the patient’s age, weight, extent of physeal involvement, severity, and number of deformities. They include growth modulation procedures such as guided growth for gradual correction with hemi-epiphysiodesis and physeal closure to prevent recurrence and equalize limb lengths, physeal bar resection, physeal distraction, osteotomies with acute correction and stabilization, gradual correction with multi-planar dynamic external fixation, and various combinations of all modalities. The goals of surgery are to restore normal joint and limb alignment, equalize limb lengths at skeletal maturity, and prevent recurrence. The purpose of this literature review is to delineate basic concepts and reconstructive surgical treatment strategies for patients with Blount’s disease.
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spelling doaj.art-a11eb32d9ade45028c066b8174b36c292023-11-22T02:33:25ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672021-06-018756610.3390/children8070566Deformity Reconstruction Surgery for Blount’s DiseaseCraig A. Robbins0Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute, West Palm Beach, FL 33407, USABlount’s disease is an idiopathic developmental abnormality affecting the medial proximal tibia physis resulting in a multi-planar deformity with pronounced tibia varus. A single cause is unknown, and it is currently thought to result from a multifactorial combination of hereditary, mechanical, and developmental factors. Relationships with vitamin D deficiency, early walking, and obesity have been documented. Regardless of the etiology, the clinical and radiographic findings are consistent within the two main groups. Early-onset Blount’s disease is often bilateral and affects children in the first few years of life. Late-onset Blount’s disease is often unilateral and can be sub-categorized as juvenile tibia vara (ages 4–10), and adolescent tibia vara (ages 11 and older). Early-onset Blount’s disease progresses to more severe deformities, including depression of the medial tibial plateau. Additional deformities in both groups include proximal tibial procurvatum, internal tibial torsion, and limb length discrepancy. Compensatory deformities in the distal femur and distal tibia may occur. When non-operative treatment fails the deformities progress through skeletal maturity and can result in pain, gait abnormalities, premature medial compartment knee arthritis, and limb length discrepancy. Surgical options depend on the patient’s age, weight, extent of physeal involvement, severity, and number of deformities. They include growth modulation procedures such as guided growth for gradual correction with hemi-epiphysiodesis and physeal closure to prevent recurrence and equalize limb lengths, physeal bar resection, physeal distraction, osteotomies with acute correction and stabilization, gradual correction with multi-planar dynamic external fixation, and various combinations of all modalities. The goals of surgery are to restore normal joint and limb alignment, equalize limb lengths at skeletal maturity, and prevent recurrence. The purpose of this literature review is to delineate basic concepts and reconstructive surgical treatment strategies for patients with Blount’s disease.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/7/566Blount’s diseaseinfantileearly-onsetlate-onsetjuvenileadolescent
spellingShingle Craig A. Robbins
Deformity Reconstruction Surgery for Blount’s Disease
Children
Blount’s disease
infantile
early-onset
late-onset
juvenile
adolescent
title Deformity Reconstruction Surgery for Blount’s Disease
title_full Deformity Reconstruction Surgery for Blount’s Disease
title_fullStr Deformity Reconstruction Surgery for Blount’s Disease
title_full_unstemmed Deformity Reconstruction Surgery for Blount’s Disease
title_short Deformity Reconstruction Surgery for Blount’s Disease
title_sort deformity reconstruction surgery for blount s disease
topic Blount’s disease
infantile
early-onset
late-onset
juvenile
adolescent
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/7/566
work_keys_str_mv AT craigarobbins deformityreconstructionsurgeryforblountsdisease