Recurvatum

Illustration of genu recurvatum.

What is the cause of genu recurvatum?

One may be born with a recurvatum, or it can be a result of ligament damage to the knee, a problem with the growth plates, fracture, poliomyelitis or a stroke.

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Is knee recurvatum painful?

Knee recurvatum is not always painful.

When it is, the pain may be accompanied by limb weakness, leg length discrepancy and decreased range of motion (ROM).

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Will fixing the ligament damage fix the recurvatum?

An osteotomy may be necessary to improve the alignment and prevent ongoing strain on the ligament.

The most effective is an anterior opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy. An external fixator may also be used to progressively distract the joint and gradually improve the alignment.

• Quote from peer-reviewed paper:

  "After surgical management using a [proximal tibial osteotomy], patients can expect to achieve correction of knee hyperextension, restoration of a more posterior tibial slope, and increased subjective outcome scores."

  Citation: Dean RS, Graden NR, Kahat DH, DePhillipo NN, LaPrade RF. Treatment for Symptomatic Genu Recurvatum: A Systematic Review. Orthop J Sports Med. 2020 Aug 12;8(8):2325967120944113. doi: 10.1177/2325967120944113. PMID: 32851107; PMCID: PMC7425269.

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