Help my pikin with bow legs : Blount Disease
Blount’s disease dey named after one pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Walter Putnam Blount, this disease dey known to affect the lower legs. Humans get bone wen dey called the tibia (shinbone). For children with the disease, growth disorder dey for the bone, na em dey cause the lower legs to angle inwards and bow in.
Bowlegs: How Rickets take different from Blount’s disease?
To naked eyes, difference nor dey between who get rickets and who get Blount’s disease cos the lower legs go dey bowed in for both cases.
For person with Rickets; Calcium, Vitamin D, and phosphorus, wen dey responsible for the proper growth and strength of bones, nor dey sufficient .
Once dem treat am, person with Rickets fit get dia bone corrected with time. But, this one nor dey ever happens with Blount’s disease.
Causes
Although the causes dey unknown, e fit result from genetic factors and developmental factors like excessive compression on the tibia, as na did bone dey help bear the weight of the body .
This syndrome dey relatively common for children wen start to waka early and the ones wen get obesity. Also, e dey more common for girls and for people of African-American descent.
Treatment
Although say the exact cause nor dey known; many treatment options dey known to correct bone deformities wen dey caused by Blount’s disease. Dem nor dey limited to:
1. Nonsurgical intervention: For children under age 3 wen you don dey notice bowing, bracing be proven way to correct the defect. The idea behind dis treatment method na to guide the pikin leg to grow for straighter position as the pikin dey age.
2. Surgery: Adolescents, adults, and children above the age of 3 wen get this disease need surgery to correct their bone defect. Some types of surgical interventions na osteotomy where dem go break the bowed parts of the bone and re-aligned am for straight pattern. Other surgical techniques dey involve the use of staples on one side of the person leg to stop further growth for that side and also to guide the growth into straighter position.
If you find out say your pikin leg appear bow, nor panic but follow healthcare professional talk for guidance. Blount’s disease dey disfiguring, and e dey completely reparable and your pikin go get straight-looking legs afterward.
