GENU VARUM OR BOW LEG

What Does Bowlegged Mean?

Bowlegs also referred to as Genu Varum or bandiness is a physical deformity which leads to outward bowing of the lower leg in relation to the thigh. The condition makes a person’s knees stay wide apart while standing with feet and ankles together, with the appearance of an archer’s bow. This condition may affect one or both legs. Most people assume the only way to straighten bow legs is by having surgery.

CAUSES OF BOW LEG IN ADULT?

Bowlegs in adults is usually caused by knee arthritis or wearing away of the knee joint cartilage. Uneven wearing away of the cartilage, specifically from the inside of the knee, then the knees become bowlegged. Another cause of bowlegs in adults is the failure to self-correct for naturally occurring childhood bowlegs. Lack of early intervention or correction of bow legs in a child could result to bow legs into adolescence and adulthood.

Genetics also plays a role in causing bow legs, where some people naturally have a more lateral curve in their legs.

More serious causes of Bowlegs in adults include bone tumors and bone infections (osteomyelitis) which result to the abnormal curving of the legs, with a bow-leg appearance.

In other instances where fractures or broken bones do not heal properly, the angle and strength of bones are affected, and this could result in an unexpected development of bowlegs in adults.

Can Bowlegs Be Corrected In Adults?

Various approaches can be used to correct bow legs in adults, including the use of braces, surgery, medical prescriptions, physical therapy, or special exercise techniques. Bowlegs in adults caused by knee arthritis or erosion of the knee joint cartilage can be corrected using braces and drug therapies, such as anti-inflammatory prescriptions, which relieve pain caused by cartilage insufficiency. Another treatment of Bowlegs in adults involves a total joint replacement surgery, stem cell transplant or grafting to restore the eroded knee cartilage.

Regardless of the treatment or method used to correct bow legs in adults, targeted exercises in the form of professional physical therapy is required to supplement and enhance treatment.

Physical therapy helps strengthen leg muscles so that the bowing does not progress quickly. While most exercises will not considerably correct bowlegs in adults, some proper exercises could help improve posture and decrease the degree of bowleggedness.