Acquired genu recurvatum in a skeletally immature patient treated by physeal distraction: A case report

Abstract

The proximal tibia physis’ anterior growth arrest is the cause of the uncommon condition known as acquired genu recurvatum, which can also be congenital, idiopathic, or secondary to trauma, infections, cerebrovascular accidents, or neuromuscular diseases. In order to avoid the reported drawbacks that could complicate osteotomies—incomplete correction, patella infera, knee pain or stiffness, and the requirement to remove plate metalwork—physeal distraction and callotasis with external fixation has been suggested. We present the case of a 14-year-old boy who had a 5 cm difference in limb length, with the right leg being shorter, and a right knee that was 30° recurved with flexion restriction beyond 40°. The correction was made in 50 days, and the external fixator was removed in 92 days after we performed a physeal distraction with an axial EF (ST.A.R., Citieffe) through an anterior physeal osteotomy just proximal to the tuberosity in conjunction with simultaneous asymmetrical tibial and femoral contralateral epiphysiodesys. The patient returned to playing football within 8 months despite the persistence of a 3 cm leg length discrepancy and had a symmetric full range of motion of the knee without any complications or persistent pain. The correction of genu recurvatum in adolescents may be achieved safely and effectively through physeal distraction with an axial external fixator.

Keywords

• Genu recurvatum
• growth plate injury
• knee deformity
• physeal distraction
• tibial slope