Before knowing what is knock knees and bow legs and does your child has any of these deformities, you have to know what is normal leg alignment.?? How the leg alignment changes with growth over the period of time??

so please note that all the children at birth have to bow of legs i.e. Legs are round or curved outside at the level of the knee joint.

As the child grows the legs become straight usually by the age of 4 years.

After four years the legs grow into valgus that is the legs turn outside from the knee in such a way that knees strike each other and the feet are separated. At about 7-8 years of age, the normal knee alignment of adulthood is achieved which is about 7 degrees valgus in Boys and 8 degrees valgus in girls.

If the knee touch each other while walking this is known as knock knees.

So once we have understood what is normal, now it’s easy to find when the knee alignment is said to be abnormal.

Bowing of legs at any age after 4 years of birth should be considered abnormal and must be investigated and treated.

Knock knee commonly appears after the age of 4 years. if a child aged less than 4 years has a knock knee. he/she should be investigated and treated.

Significant Knock knees beyond 8 years of age should also be considered abnormal and should be treated.