my dd has legs like Rebecca Bross

[2gymmies]

Hi guys!

With all of the talk of Rebecca Bross and her injury and her knees/ankles, it got me thinking. My dd is knock-kneed like Rebecca Bross to the point where she cannot straighten her knees and put her ankles and toes together unless she sickles or completely turns out her legs. Is there anything that can be done for that? She is 6 and very tiny, so I'm sure she has growing to do that might help correct it, but it is very difficult for her to manage. Is it something that with extra attention/conditioning that she can grow out of or correct? Anyone with a child that was knock-kneed that grew out of it?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ginnymac]

From childrensmemorial.org

[h=2]Orthopaedic surgery/Sports and rehabilitative medicine[/h]
[h=1]Physiologic genu valgum (normal/developmental knock knees)[/h] [h=2]What is physiologic genu valgum?[/h] When some children stand, run, or walk, their knees seem very close together (or even touch each other) and their ankles are further apart. This condition is called knock knees or genu valgum.
In the first 12-18 months of life, children often have some leg bowing. The legs straighten as the baby/toddler grows. By age 3-4, it is common to see the child become knock-kneed, and then by age 7-10 the legs have usually straightened. For most children, knock knees is ‘physiologic' or part of their normal development. In some cases, the knock knees are due to trauma to the growth areas in the knee, a bone condition, or a previous bone or joint infection.


Your dd still may "grow out of it". Take a look at you and her father, if either of you are "knock kneed", chances are she may be. Otherwise, she will probably grow out of it....

 

[2gymmies]

Thanks for the quick response - neither of us is knock kneed and none of our other (5) children are so I'm hoping she is still just growing (God knows we could use alittle growth spurt, she isn't even 40 inches yet)!

Judges/coaches, how do you handle it when a child is knock kneed like that? What is best for her to do? Keep her toes together and sickle her feet or keep her ankles straight and tight but have her feet slightly apart?

 

[ginnymac]

As far as creating strong muscles, I would say that it is more important while young to keep her ankles straight and tight with the slight form break of feet apart. Then, when she is older, if the condition persists, she'd probably be instructed to 'sickle' her feet as RB does.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

if it's valgus, you can't outgrow it.

 

[ginnymac]

It may to the untrained eye look like valgus, but may actually be developmental.