Children’s legs change shape as they grow, and many differences that worry parents are a normal part of development. A paediatric orthopaedic surgeon can tell which ones will correct themselves and which need treatment.
Some conditions are present at birth, such as clubfoot and developmental dysplasia of the hip, where the hip socket hasn’t formed normally. Early diagnosis and treatment, often in the first weeks or months of life, give the best chance of normal development
Assessment includes watching your child stand and walk, measuring alignment and leg lengths, and sometimes X-rays. Many children need only monitoring. Where treatment is needed, options depend on the condition and the child’s age. They include casting or bracing; guided growth, a small operation that uses the child’s remaining growth to gradually straighten a limb; and, for more severe deformities, surgery to cut and realign the bone (osteotomy).
Dr S. Ragunandan.