Abstract

Background: Genu valgum is a deformity resulting from the separation of ankles, when the medial faces of the knees are in contact while the person is in anatomical position, the patella and the hallux turning to the anterior direction.

Aim: To evaluate the features of genu valgum and associated sociodemographic factors in children.

Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Sader Al-Qanat Center for Prosthetics and Orthotics, a tertiary referral center in Baghdad/Iraq during the period from January to December 2022. A convenient sampling method was adopted to enrol 60 patients aged 2-14 years with genu valgum who attained the Sader Al-Qanat Orthoses and Prostheses Center

Results: More than half of the patients 31 (51.7%) were male. About 42 (70%) of the patients had an age of ≤6 years. Regarding body mass index, 41.7% of the patients had normal weight, 36.7% had overweight, and 21.6% of them were obese. Most patients were walking at the age of <18 months (83.3%). About 76.7% of the patients presented with the disease at the age of < 6 years. Family history was presented in 11.7%. Most patients did not have pes planus (93.3%), presented with symmetrical deformity (95.0%) and had an intermalleolar distance of < 8 cm (90%), Genu valgum was physiological in 91.7% of the patients.

Conclusion: Male patients, patients with an age of < 6 years, obese or overweight, and those without family history constituted the largest proportion of the sample. The genu valgum was symmetrical and physiological in most patients. Most patients had an intermalleolar distance of < 8 cm. There was a significant association between the genu valgum and overweight or obesity and age at walking.