Varus deformity of the knee can lead to early degeneration of the medial tibiofemoral joint. Pediatric patients can be pathologically affected with this deformity known as Blount disease. The cause of this pathology is still uncertain, but some risk factors are well established, such as obesity and family history. The diagnosis is made through clinical history, physical examination, and the radiographic analysis after the age of 2.5 years. The analysis of the metaphysealdiaphyseal angle, described by Levine and Drennan, is also commonly used for prognosis. When this angle is greater than 16 , it is considered to be grossly abnormal. Possible options for correcting the generated angular deformity are epiphysiodesis, osteotomy (acute or gradual correction), and gradual correction by distraction of the physis. In this surgical technique, we performed a double tibial osteotomy with controlled gradual opening using monolateral external fixator (Orthofix, Verona, Italy). Our technique proved to be an effective way to correct the adolescent tibia vara and is practical and reproducible. Moreover, the use of gradual opening osteotomy allowed a more accurate outcome.
A modification of range of motion of the knee can significantly change a patient's quality of life. In general, range of motion of 0° to 125° is adequate for most activities of daily life. The rate of knee arthrofibrosis after ligament reconstruction is reported to be between 0% and 4%; after tibial fracture due to high-energy trauma, the rate is about 7%, with an undetermined incidence after limb lengthening. The purpose of this study was to describe a modification of the operative technique of Judet. We describe minimally invasive quadricepsplasty in 4 steps, aiming to obtain an end result with an arc of movement of at least 120° to 130°. We believe that our technique is a good option for the treatment of the stiff knee, having low morbidity and being an easy method to perform.
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