Knock Knee Correction in Turkey: Genu Valgum Surgery

Knock Knee Correction in Turkey: Genu Valgum Surgery

Knock knees, medically known as genu valgum, are more than a cosmetic difference in the shape of the legs. In significant cases, altered alignment changes how force passes through the knee and may contribute to pain, abnormal kneecap tracking, cartilage overload and progressive joint degeneration.

For patients considering knock knee correction in Turkey, the most important issue is not simply where the surgery can be performed.

It is whether the cause, location and degree of the deformity have been correctly identified and the correction properly planned.

What Are Knock Knees?

In genu valgum, the knees angle inward relative to the hips and ankles.

Some degree of valgus alignment is normal during childhood and often improves with growth. Persistent, progressive or symptomatic knock knees require further assessment.

In adults, significant genu valgum may be associated with:

• Outer knee pain
• Patellofemoral pain or instability
• Abnormal walking mechanics
• Difficulty with sport
• Uneven cartilage loading
• Progressive lateral compartment arthritis

Knock Knee Correction Is Not the Same Operation for Every Patient

Two patients can appear to have similar knock knees while having very different underlying deformities.

The problem may originate from:

• The distal femur
• The proximal tibia
• Both the femur and tibia
• The knee joint itself
• A combination of bone and soft-tissue factors

This matters because the location of the deformity determines where the correction should be performed.

Knock-knee surgery should therefore begin with deformity analysis, not with choosing an operation.

How Is Genu Valgum Evaluated?

Assessment usually includes an orthopaedic examination together with standing weight-bearing full-length alignment X-rays from the hips to the ankles.

These allow the surgeon to analyse the mechanical axis and identify where the deformity originates.

Depending on the case, additional investigations may include:

• Knee X-rays
• Knee MRI
• Cartilage and meniscus assessment
• Patellar tracking evaluation
• Ligament assessment
• Review of previous surgery or imaging

The aim is not simply to make the legs appear straighter.
The aim is to restore appropriate mechanical alignment while maintaining a physiological joint-line orientation and respecting the overall biomechanics of the limb.

Distal Femoral Osteotomy for Knock Knees

When the deformity originates mainly from the lower part of the femur, a distal femoral osteotomy, or DFO, may be considered.

During the procedure, the surgeon makes a controlled cut in the femur above the knee, corrects the alignment and stabilises the bone, commonly with a plate and screws.

The objective is to shift the mechanical axis and reduce abnormal loading across the knee.

Different osteotomy techniques, including medial closing-wedge or lateral opening-wedge approaches, may be used depending on the anatomy, location of the deformity and degree of correction required.

When Both the Femur and Tibia Need Correction

Not every valgus deformity should be corrected entirely through the femur.

If significant deformity exists in both the femur and tibia, correcting the entire deformity at only one level may create an abnormal joint-line orientation.

In selected cases, correction may therefore be required at both the femur and tibia, a strategy known as a double-level osteotomy.