Genu varum or o-legs is an orthopaedic malformation of the knee which can occur in different forms, namely normal or physiological o-legs and, to a very limited extent, abnormal or pathological o-legs.
In newborn babies, there is a limited degree of o-legs, which is equally pronounced on both legs. At the age of about 1.5 years, this is spontaneously corrected and the legs are therefore straight. Genu varum may be pathological if there is no spontaneous recovery after the age of about one year. This may also be the case if the position of the legs was straight and genu varum started to develop after the age of one year. If the genu varum occurs unilaterally, treatment is always indicated.
There are several options for the treatment of o-legs. The professional podiatrist will use as parameter the distance between the inner side of the knee (maximum distance of 4 cm) to correct the step pattern with podiatric insole therapy. If the distance is greater, 4 to 7 cm, the professional podiatrist will refer the patient to a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon. The use of night splints in combination with podiatric insole therapy can be a treatment choice in case of insufficient results. If the patient has extremely deviated o-legs whereby the supporting line of the leg runs outside the foot, and after the failure of conservative treatment, surgery will be considered to correct the deviated position.