Deformity correction
Knock-knee correction (genu valgum)
Knock-knees (genu valgum) leave the knees touching but the ankles apart when standing. Causes include trauma, childhood rickets, hereditary multiple exostosis and idiopathic cases — more common in women and often linked to body weight. Braces and physiotherapy rarely help, because the deformity is in the bone.
Who it suits
- Knock-knees causing thigh rubbing, lateral knee pain or appearance concerns
- Patients for whom braces or physiotherapy have not worked
Technique highlights
- Corrected primarily with internal fixation through minimal incisions
- Every case is analysed first to locate the deformity — tibia, femur or both
- Very severe cases can be corrected with an external fixator
Surgical steps
- Standing full-leg radiographs to locate and quantify the deformity.
- Plan the osteotomy at the true source, not merely where the leg looks bent.
- Realign and fix internally.
- Physiotherapy with serial radiographic alignment checks.
Recovery & aftercare
- Internal fixation means no external hardware to carry and a quicker recovery.
- Weight control reduces knee load and helps hold the corrected alignment.
Risks & things to consider
- Bone lengthening is major surgery. Outcome and recovery time depend on bone quality, age, weight and how disciplined the patient is with rehabilitation, so identical results cannot be guaranteed.
- Daily physiotherapy is mandatory through both the lengthening and consolidation phases. Skipping it risks joint stiffness, muscle contracture or delayed bone healing.
- Disclose all medical conditions, regular medication, previous bone surgery and drug allergies at the consultation, and stop smoking before and after surgery as instructed — nicotine measurably slows bone healing.
- Valgus correction carries a particular risk of nerve injury and should be done by a specialist surgeon.
Frequently asked questions
Can knock-knees be treated without surgery?
In adults it usually does not work, because the deformity is structural. Braces and physiotherapy may ease pain but do not change bone alignment; permanent correction requires osteotomy.
Other procedures in this area
Related articles
- HeightDr. Donghoon Limb Lengthening Institute (DALRI)Dr. Donghoon Advanced Limb Lengthening & Reconstruction Institute (DALRI) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do specialises in stature lengthening, bowleg and knock-knee correction, leg length discrepancy and revision surgery, led by Dr. Lee Dong Hoon — the first surgeon in Asia to complete PRECICE nail lengthening.
- Stem cellHigh-intensity magnetic pulse therapy in Bong Bong's programmeBong Bong's clinic-introduction page states its reverse-ageing concept combines three advanced technologies — Basic Cell therapy, high-intensity magnetic pulse therapy, and NK-cell activation — to restore cellular and immune function toward a younger, stronger state. High-intensity magnetic pulse technology is widely used in physical therapy to stimulate muscle and nerve tissue without direct skin contact, but Bong Bong's page does not specify the target sites or exact indications for its programme, so ask the clinic directly before deciding.
- HeightHeight surgery reviews 2026: real before & after cases from DALRIReal height-surgery reviews from the Dr. Donghoon institute (DALRI) in South Korea show gains of roughly 5–6.5 cm per lengthened segment. Most cases lengthen the tibia with LON or PRECICE and are followed with radiographs from six months to over two years post-op. Every figure here comes from the hospital's own published captions, not an estimate.
- Stem cellKnee pain without surgery: the stem cell and targeted-injection route at Bong BongPeople with chronic knee pain from mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis who want to avoid joint replacement often look for non-surgical options. Bong Bong hospital publishes educational clips on Basic Cell knee injections — roughly 100 million autologous fat- or blood-derived cells per session — as one such path, but joint damage severity must be assessed first, since advanced degeneration may not suit this approach.