Blount Disease

Blount Disease same as OSTEOCHONDROSES is a group of disorders that affect the epiphyses or heads of the long bones of childrens. The epiphyses are separated from the main shaft of their corresponding long bone in children but fuse and disappear once growth is complete.

Best known example are Legg-Calve-Perthe's disease, Osgood-Schlatter's disease and Scheurmann's disease, although other rare conditions may also occur.

What causes Blount's disease?

The exact cause of Blount's disease remains unknown.   However, scientists believe that it is the interplay of several contributing factors -- genetic, environmental, and mechanical -- that most likely represents the collective cause of the condition.

Coping with Blount's Disease

Blount's disease may require some difficult adjustments for parents and their child with the condition.  Frequent visits to the doctor, the wearing of braces or casts, and a surgical operation at a young age can represent emotional and physical challenges for children and parents alike. 

However, early treatment of the condition has proven to be extremely effective, and almost all children that receive treatment for Blount's disease grow into late childhood or adulthood without any deformities or restrictions on their activities and abilities, from everyday walking to demanding, competitive sports.

Surgical Indications about Blount Disease

• if deformity does not correct before age 4-5 yrs, surgery is indicated;
• osteotomy of proximal tibia and fibula should also include lateral rotation to produce a +10-degree thigh-foot angle;
• if surgery is delayed beyond ages of 6-8, recurrence is expected;
              - consider tibial osteotomy when medial physeal slope is > 60 deg;
              - w/ medial physeal slope of 50 to 60 degrees, orthotic treatment is consider if there are risk factors;
              - obesity, female gender, and a poor social situation are poor prognostic signs for successful bracing;
              - example of proximal tibial osteotomy: