Nonsurgical Treatment for Blount Disease in Children

Orthopedic specialists at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone offer nonsurgical treatments for young children with Blount disease. Treatment usually begins after age two, when the legs may not straighten on their own.

Leg Braces

Leg braces, or knee-ankle-foot orthoses, are usually the first treatment given to young children with mild or moderate symptoms of Blount disease. These customized braces support the child’s legs from the thighs to the toes.

A child wears the braces day and night for several months, except when bathing. The braces are adjusted every few months as the child grows and the leg bones begin to straighten. Over time, the braces gradually shift the leg bones into proper alignment, straightening the lower legs.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy may be recommended to help your child move with greater ease and prevent the condition from progressing. Our physical therapists can teach you and your child exercises for stretching and strengthening weak leg muscles affected by Blount disease and to correct imbalances in your child’s walk. A therapist can also show you and your child how to put on and take off braces, care for the skin on the braced leg, and use crutches or a walker, if needed.

Our physical therapists can teach parents of younger children with Blount disease how to incorporate therapeutic activities and exercises into your child’s daily routine.