Early Recurrence of Blount's Disease Following Acute Correction

Abstract

Background: Blount's disease, an asymmetrical disorder of the proximal tibia usually affects different age groups. Acute correction of the deformity via a tibia osteotomy with or without implants is a preferred modality of treatment. However, recurrence of deformity is a common complication. Objectives: This study was done to determine the early recurrence of deformity post-surgical correction of this disease. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study done over a five years period at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria. Seventeen patients with twenty-four extremities were recruited for this study. Inclusion criteria were patients who presented with Blount's disease, and had corrective osteotomy at our institution and followed up for one year. Patients who had a prior history of surgery were excluded from the study. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS version 22. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The recurrence noted in this study was 29.2% (seven out of twenty-four extremities), with patients aged four years or less having no recurrence. The mean pre-operative tibiofemoral angle was 34.750 ± 16.510, and there was a statistically significant correlation between pre-operative tibiofemoral angle and recurrence (p≤0.05). Conclusion: The cause of recurrence is multifactorial and may include age at presentation and pre-operative tibiofemoral angle.