Early roentgenographic evaluation of bowlegged children

Thirty-nine knees in 21 bowlegged children under the age of 30 months were examined roentgenographically at initial clinic visit. All were followed until bowing resolved, bowing persisted past age 30 months, or surgery was performed. Older bowlegged children had strikingly poorer prognoses. We identified (a) longer fibula than tibia and (b) more acute proximal tibial angulation than distal femoral angulation as possible prognostic signs that bowing was likely to persist. Bowlegs in girls seem less likely to resolve spontaneously than in boys. Race does not seem to be a factor. The initial examiner's interpretation of roentgenograms as "physiologic bowlegs" or "Blount's disease" was not found to be reliable.