The correction of primary knee deformities in children.

One hundred and fourteen patients with primary knee deformity either genu varum, genu valgum or combined varus and valgus deformities were treated with serial plaster cylinder casts and wedging for six to nine months. The children were aged between 2 to 13 years, the peak incidence being in the third year of life. Forty-seven of the patients were found to have active or healed rickets but the remaining patients showed no evidence of rachitic lesions. Results showed that serial corrective plaster casts gave a satisfactory cosmetic appearance in 69 patients but the older the patient the less favourable was the result. Eighteen patients were resistant and underwent surgical osteotomy of the femur or tibia; in four instances multiple osteotomy was required. The conclusion was that plaster of Paris casts were a safe and effective method of correcting primary deformity of the knee in the majority of the patients.