Valgus deformity


A valgus deformity is a condition in which the bone segment distal to a joint is angled outward, that is, angled laterally, away from the body's midline. The opposite deformation, where the twist or angulation is directed medially, toward the center of the body, is called varus. Common causes of valgus knee in adults include arthritis of the knee and traumatic injuries.

Knee arthritis with valgus knee

knee commonly presents as valgus knee. Osteoarthritis knee may also sometimes present with valgus deformity though varus deformity is common. Total knee arthroplasty to correct valgus deformity is surgically difficult and requires specialized implants called constrained condylar knees.

Examples

Valgus is a term for outward angulation of the distal segment of a bone or joint. The opposite condition is called varus, which is a medial deviation of the distal bone. The terms varus and valgus always refer to the direction that the distal segment of the joint points. Interestingly, the original latin definitions for varus and valgus were the opposite of their current usage. For a discussion of the etymology of these words, see the entry under varus. A mnemonic to remember the two deformities is that valgus contains an "L", for Lateral deviation.