Abstract
Severe bowlegs due to Blount's disease (9 knees) and rickets (8 knees) were treated with a short leg corrective brace. The femora-tibial angle (FTA), and the degrees of tibia vara and femora vara were measured on standing antero-posterior roentgenograms. If the FTA was more than 195°or the tibia vara was more than 15°, short leg corrective braces were indicated. The braces were applied around the clock except during bathing. Radiographic examination was done every 2 months, and the change of the FTA and tibia vara was observed. In both diseases, the FTA was improved followed by the correction of the tibia vara. The duration of the bracing was from 5 to 12 months, an average of 9.1 months, in the case of Blount's disease and 14 to 35 months, an average 30.6 of months in the case of rickets. In the patient with rickets who did not respond to medical therapy, the application of the brace was prolonged.
